FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ascension Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote accountability and good governance on Ascension Island.

Mark Simmonds: The British Government promote good governance and accountability in all of the Overseas Territories. Considerable effort continues to be put into encouraging active participation in politics on Ascension Island. In 2011-12, a stipend for councillors was introduced to encourage high calibre candidates, and this year money will be spent on professional training for new councillors. Representatives from the Ascension Island Council are also invited to the annual Joint Ministerial Council hosted in London, where there have been a number of seminars on improving good governance and accountability.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many trespassers have been evicted from the British Indian Ocean Territory in the last two years.

Mark Simmonds: In the last two years, the British Indian Ocean Territory Authorities have discovered only one case of trespassing. This was a yacht moored in the territory without a valid permit. The yacht was instructed to leave.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase public access to the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands).

Mark Simmonds: We have no objective of increasing public access to the British Indian Ocean Territory. It is not a tourist destination. Access to Diego Garcia is limited to those needing to visit for official purposes. Mooring permits are issued to yachts in safe passage.
	An increasing number of scientific expeditions have been visiting the British Indian Ocean Territory to carry out research and conservation work.
	Since 2006, the British Government has been organising visits for Chagossians to the three main islands to enable them to re-visit their birth places and hold ceremonies at the graveyards of relatives. The most recent visit took place in October 2012.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the subject of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Mark Simmonds: I have not discussed the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) recently with my US counterpart. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and State Department officials have regular discussions about all bilateral matters including the British Indian Ocean Territory. The most recent BIOT Pol-Mil annual talks were held in London in October 2012.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civilian permits his Department has issued allowing access to the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands) in each of the last five years.

Mark Simmonds: The British Indian Ocean Territory Administration has issued 25 permits in 2013, 42 permits in 2012, 39 permits in 2011, 106 permits in 2010 and 78 permits in 2009. Permits are issued for yachts in safe passage and for any visitors to the territory.
	In accordance with our legislation, contractor personnel are deemed to be in possession of a permit if their name is included in a list which is accepted by the principal immigration officer.

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Burma has not been included in his Department's Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.

Hugo Swire: The Government regularly lobby the Burmese Government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence against women in conflict areas. Through international non-governmental organisations, the UK gives support to legal assistance centres in Burmese refugee camps in Thailand and to trauma care in camps in Kachin State in Burma, both of which deal with rape cases. We also work closely with the UN in Rakhine State to strengthen work to prevent and respond to sexual violence there.
	The Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) has identified countries, in consultation with the UN and other partners, where the UK Team of Experts can add most value. In January 2013, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced initial deployments to countries including Bosnia, Libya. South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and to the Syria Border. A number of other countries are now engaging in PSVI at both a practical and political level, taking into account existing national and international efforts. Over the summer, the British embassy in Rangoon will be scoping options to expand the initiative to Burma.

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers in his Department who recently met the Burmese Immigration Minister, Khin Yi, raised with him his investigation into the citizenship of Rohingya MP Shwe Maung.

Hugo Swire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and my Noble Friend Baroness Warsi met Aung Min, Minister for the Burmese President's office, and Khin Yi, Minister for Rakhme State, in meetings on 15 and 16 April. The circumstances of specific individuals were not discussed. However, Ministers made clear our concerns about the need for the urgent coordination of humanitarian aid to Rakhine State and a resolution to the Rohingya's citizenship status which is consistent with helping the Rohingya achieve their human rights.
	British officials in Rangoon, as well as visiting UK Ministers, are in regular and close contact with leaders of the Rohingya community in Burma.

Burma

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of grants provided by the British Embassy in Rangoon in the last three years were spent on projects which promote human rights.

Hugo Swire: Overall 62% of project funding provided by the British embassy in Rangoon in the last three years was spent on projects which promote human rights, amounting to over £828,000. These projects have included training for civil society advocacy groups and human rights defenders, workshops to raise awareness of new labour rights, a visit to Burma by the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association, and building the capacity of disabled people's organisations.
	Through our bilateral project fund, we have also assisted in delivering—via implementing partners—technical support over the last two years to the Ministry of Social Welfare to fulfil Burmese Government's obligations under the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, to which Burma is a signatory.

Caribbean

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Caribbean counterparts on air passenger duty.

Mark Simmonds: As the Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for the Independent Caribbean and Caribbean Overseas Territories, I have regular discussions on air passenger duty with my Caribbean counterparts.

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to discuss (a) the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, (b) the assistance the UK team of experts could offer to Colombia on this issue and (c) the involvement of women in all stages of the peace process with the President of Colombia during his visit to the UK.

Hugo Swire: We look forward to welcoming President Santos to the United Kingdom. Following the successful G8 Foreign Ministers' discussion of the issue, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is determined to develop further the Initiative and build an even broader coalition of countries demanding an end to sexual violence in conflict. Colombia's recent experience is invaluable in this regard.
	I met Constitutional Court Judge Luis Ernesto Vargas Silva in April and discussed with him the issue of sexual violence in Colombia. Members of the Commission for Peace of the Colombian Congress have recently requested advice from the UK Team of Experts in ensuring sexual violence is incorporated in their peace and reconciliation processes. We are currently considering that request. In the meantime, officials are looking into how the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) objectives can be incorporated into our existing human rights work in Colombia.
	In 2012, President Santos launched Colombia's National Public Policy for Gender Equality. The British Government will provide support to the Colombian Government to promote women's rights and address discrimination wherever possible.

Colombia

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he plans to meet President Santos of Colombia during his visit to the UK in June 2013; and if he will propose to President Santos that he should invite the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, Baroness Amos, to Colombia to discuss with the Colombian Government the current humanitarian situation in that country.

Hugo Swire: I look forward to welcoming President Santos to the United Kingdom. I plan to meet with him and discuss a range of subjects, including human rights, our growing trade links and the peace process. However, I do not have any plans to suggest that President Santos invite Baroness Amos to Colombia to discuss the current humanitarian situation.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mark Simmonds: UN peacekeepers were first deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through UNSCR 1279 of 30 November 1999. Like its predecessor, MONUC the current force (the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission—MONUSCO), has a primary objective to protect civilians. UNSCR 2098 of 28 March 2013 saw an extension of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping operation in DRC, with the new element of an Intervention Brigade charged with helping to stabilise the region through neutralizing armed groups and contributing to reducing the threat posed by them. The Intervention Brigade, under the same mandate as the rest of MONUSCO, is in the process of deploying to the region. Britain fully supports the work of the whole of MONUSCO. We remain confident that MONUSCO's presence contributes positively to peace and security in eastern DRC. We will continue to monitor the situation, and MONUSCO’s operations, through the UN Security Council and via our representatives on the ground in DRC.

Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to highlight the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands in the European Parliament.

Hugo Swire: Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not a matter for the European Union. However, our Representation to the European Union engages with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Falklands issues in order to build awareness of the rights and wishes of the Islanders. It has organised meetings for Members of the Falklands Legislative Assembly with MEPs in Brussels, most recently in April this year, and briefed British MEPs on the decisive Falklands referendum in March.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which EU countries he has received reports of clinics declining to treat UK citizens who held valid European Health Insurance cards.

Mark Simmonds: We are not aware of any countries where treatment has been declined. We know of several cases in Spain where the European Health Insurance Card has not been accepted as payment and patients have had to find alternative payment methods including travel insurance. There have been isolated cases elsewhere in the EU including Cyprus and Bulgaria. This information is not held centrally, however, and to gather the information from all EU countries would incur a disproportionate cost.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints he has received in each of the last three years from UK citizens whose European Health Insurance cards have not been accepted by clinics in the EU.

Mark Simmonds: We do not hold this information centrally; and to gather the information from all our missions EU countries would incur a disproportionate cost.

Iceland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the formation of a new Government in Iceland, and its announcement that it has terminated the accession process of Iceland to the EU; what assessment he has made of the implications of these developments for UK foreign policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Government have followed with interest the formation of Iceland's new governing coalition between the Progressive and Independence parties, and maintain regular contact with the Icelandic Government in particular through our embassy in Reykjavik. The new Government have announced that Iceland's EU accession negotiations, which the previous Government put on hold ahead of the 27 April elections, will remain suspended until an assessment of the process has been discussed in the Icelandic Parliament and any decision to recommence put to a public referendum.
	The UK will continue to engage positively with Iceland, to further strengthen our good bilateral relationship.

Immigration

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had on the potential number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals who might migrate to the UK over the next three years.

Hugo Swire: There is no reliable way of estimating future numbers of Bulgarian and Romanian migrants as it is impossible to take into account all of the factors that could influence the situation.

India

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have had with the Indian Government regarding the trial of Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

Hugo Swire: I raised Mr Bhullar's case when I met the Indian High Commissioner, Dr J. Bhagwati, on 30 April. The British high commission in New Delhi has in parallel raised this issue with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The UK will continue to monitor this case closely, as we will in all cases where the death penalty has been given as a sentence.

Kenya

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect on bilateral relations with Kenya of the result of the Kenyan presidential election.

Mark Simmonds: The UK and Kenya have a substantial shared agenda, which includes regional security, prosperity, and development. The appointment of a new Kenyan Government committed to upholding their international obligations provides an opportunity to work together to build on this agenda.

Middle East

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent reports he has received on progress on transferring planning control for the west bank from the Israeli Government to the Palestinian Authority as agreed under the Oslo accords;
	(2)  what recent representations he has made to the Israeli Government on the transfer of planning control of the west bank to the Palestinian Authority.

Alistair Burt: The British Government regularly raise concerns regarding the Israeli building and planning regime in Area C with the Israeli Government, including during recent visits by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the National Security Adviser, and during meetings between UK officials and the Israeli NSC in March and April 2013. The UK has also called publicly on Israel to take steps towards the transfer of authority over Area C to the Palestinian Authority, including at the UN Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in New York in September 2012.
	Palestinian development in Area C is essential for a sustainable Palestinian economy, yet only 1% of Area C is zoned for Palestinian construction. The UK will therefore continue to press Israel to ease the current restrictive permitting regime and to transfer control of Area C to the PA as per the Oslo accords.

Occupied Territories

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many building projects in Area C of the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been funded by the UK Government or by any other EU member state.

Alistair Burt: The UK does not currently fund construction projects. However, with funding from the tri-departmental Conflict Prevention Programme, the UK has supported long-term planning for Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem and the west bank. The UK has contributed £300,000 to the Palestinian Authority's Community Resilience Development Fund for Area C and East Jerusalem which is administered by UN Development Programme. Approved projects will in some instances support rehabilitation of existing infrastructure that do not require Israeli building permits.
	The UK provides humanitarian assistance through core support to the UN and EU systems and the Humanitarian Relief Fund. Some of this funding will be used to provide emergency shelter in Area C following demolitions and displacement. The UK is currently considering what further support can be provided to assist vulnerable communities in Area C.
	We do not have up to date information on the number of projects being funded by other EU member states.

Personnel Management

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department's human resources functions was.

Alistair Burt: We have interpreted the question to mean how many staff were employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Resources Directorate in each of the last five years, and the total salary and employer related costs and associated administrative costs of the core human resources (HR) functions.
	The methodology used to determine the number of staff engaged in the full range of HR functions and services has changed during the past year to reflect Cabinet Office guidelines. We are therefore unable to provide exact comparative figures prior to 2011. The figures show the number of staff working in core HR policy units only.
	
		
			 Number 
			 Grade 2013 2012 2011 
			 A 33 54 65 
			 B 39 40 41 
			 C 44 38 35 
			 D 37 33 29 
			 SMS 4 5 5 
			 Total 157 170 175 
			 Note: Figures as at 31 March. These figures do not include FCO Services or Wilton Park, executive agencies of the FCO, staff working for the UK Border Agency, locally engaged staff employed overseas or staff employed by the FCO's arm’s length bodies. 
		
	
	The associated total average salary and employer related costs for each of the last three years were: £7,351,476, £7,523,821, and £7,361,482 respectively.
	As at 31 March 2013 there were 157 staff engaged in HR core activities in the FCO in the UK. This represents a reduction of 10% from 31 March 2011. The FCO is committed to further reductions in the size and cost of its HR function by 2015 in line with the Civil Service Reform programme.
	The FCO HR Directorate supports a global operation. At any given moment approximately 40% of our UK based workforce will be based overseas. We are therefore required to provide a unique range of services for our staff and in some cases for their accompanying dependents (for example, access to language training, health care services and overseas allowances). We also provide policy guidance, administrative and logistical support for staff from other Government Departments who are deployed overseas. As a consequence the size of the FCO HR Directorate and the comparative total cost will be higher than most other Whitehall Departments.
	Due to the nature of the FCO structure, many of the associated administrative costs that are general to the office are accounted for within the HR Budget. We are unable to separate these costs without incurring disproportionate costs.

Peru

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Peruvian Government about criminal charges being brought against (a) indigenous people protesting against the acquisition of their land and (b) indigenous leaders in the Curva del Diablo case.

Hugo Swire: The British embassy in Lima is in regular dialogue with the Peruvian Government on human rights issues, including indigenous rights.
	With regards to the indigenous leaders in the Curva del Diablo case, we understand this matter is currently before the Peruvian courts. It would be inappropriate for the UK to make representations in this on-going judicial proceeding. Our embassy will monitor this case as it progresses through the Peruvian justice system.

Pitcairn Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made on the proposed Pitcairn Islands Marine Protected Area.

Mark Simmonds: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 641W.
	We are working with the Pitcairn Island Council and interested partner organisations to explore and develop the various options for marine protection around Pitcairn. This is a complex issue requiring thorough analysis of a range of environmental and economic issues before a decision can be taken.

St Lucia

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many homicides of British nationals have occurred in St Lucia in the last 10 years; and what steps his Department takes to assist families of victims of such homicides to engage with the St Lucian authorities and criminal justice system.

Mark Simmonds: During the last 10 years, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is aware of five homicide incidents involving British nationals in St Lucia.
	In all homicide cases involving the death of a British national overseas. FCO consular officials attempt to make contact with the victim's family and next of kin. We provide support and information about the practicalities of dealing with death overseas, including local procedures. We can provide details on local lawyers and check with the local police to ensure families are updated on any ongoing investigations.
	We liaise closely with the non-governmental organisation, Victim Support National Homicide Service. Victim Support ensures families get the practical support they need to deal with the added trauma of a death overseas.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no telephone lines which generate financial or non-financial benefits.
	The FCO does not maintain centrally details of telephone services for its agencies. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Thailand

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have raised with the Government of Thailand the possible jailing of British citizen Andy Hall due to his activities protecting migrant workers in Thailand.

Hugo Swire: On 5 May 2013; staff at our embassy in Bangkok raised with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs the importance of Mr Hall receiving an independent trial in Thailand. On 20 May 2013, during my visit to Thailand, I raised this case with Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. Embassy officials in Bangkok will continue to monitor the case and raise it with the Thai authorities where appropriate.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will assess whether the risk-based inspection programme utilised by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit is fit-for-purpose; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The risk-based inspection programme utilised by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit is kept under regular review. We believe it is fit for purpose.
	The risk status for each establishment is reviewed after every inspection visit noting whether there has been any significant change in their compliance with the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The three possible outcomes—increased, decreased or unchanged risk profile—are considered along with any recommended changes to control measures; to the frequency of inspections; or to particular aspects of work at that establishment. Inspectors regularly discuss the risk profile with key individuals at the establishment, particularly the establishment licence holder. Inspectors also provide advice to those working under the 1986 Act and encourage best practice with respect to the 3Rs—replacement, refinement and reduction of the use of animals.

Drugs: Corby

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug-related arrests have been made in Corby constituency in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Arrests in Corby constituency cannot be separately identified as the data reported to the Home Office are broken down by police force area level only.
	Arrests data for England and Wales are collected by the Home Office and published on an annual basis in the National Statistics series ‘Police Powers and Procedures’. The latest release is available in the Library of the House and from the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112
	Data currently available are based on aggregated offence categories including the category ‘drug offences’, however this category only includes arrests relating specifically to the possession, importation and supply of illegal drugs. Drugs may also have been a factor in arrests for other recorded offences but it is not possible to separately identify these.

Immigrants: Detainees

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for bail were made by people held in immigration detention in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 3 June 2013
	We are only able to provide data on the number of applications for bail made by people held in immigration detention between January 2010 and December 2012.
	The data are shown in the following table. To provide data prior to January 2010 would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Table 1: Bail applications made while in immigration detention, 2010 to 2012 
			  Total 
			 2010 3,087 
			 2011 3,210 
			 2012 3,526 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. Figures relate to cases where the bail application was made in the same period of detention. 3. Data relate to main applicants and dependants.

Immigration

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of settlement applications made in the third quarter of 2012 was from (a) women and (b) men; and what the average length of time to process such applications was in each case.

Mark Harper: holding answer 3 June 2013
	31,899 in-country applications for settlement in the United Kingdom were received in the third quarter of 2012, of which 50% were from women and 50% from men. The average processing time for decided settlement applications received in that period was 155 days.
	Notes:
	1. The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	2. Figures relate to main applicants only.
	3. Figures relate to postal and premium (PEO) applications.
	4. Figures relate to settlement applications raised (received) between 1 July and 30 September 2012.
	5. Processing time is based on the average number of calendar days between raised and despatched date.

Immigration

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those in-country immigration applications which had not been processed in the third quarter of 2012 were made by women.

Mark Harper: holding answer 3 June 2013
	The Home Office is not able to report on historical work in progress cases by applicants' sex. While a current snapshot of work in progress data can be generated, it is not possible to disaggregate by main applicants and dependants. Consequently it would not be possible to provide the requested data on in-country applications made by women without incurring disproportionate costs.

Roads: Accidents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to include road traffic accident locations in the publication of crime maps.

Damian Green: Data on road traffic collisions is recorded by police forces and collected centrally by the Department for Transport (DFT).
	DFT make the data publicly available through data.gov.uk; the full 2012 dataset will be available at the end of June 2013.
	Developers and third party users can use the data to create their own online maps, apps and websites and some of these have already been created and are available on data.gov.uk/apps. For this reason, there are no plans to publish on police.uk.

Sexual Offences: Victims

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to provide support for victims identified under (a) Operation Pallial, (b) Operation Yewtree, (c) Operation Fernbridge and (d) the investigations into Stuart Hall; how much funding her Department has provided for supporting victims identified in each investigation; and with which agencies she has been in contact with regard to support for victims.

Damian Green: holding answer 4 June 2013
	The police ensure that all of the victims in these investigations are offered appropriate advice and support where required from a range of organisations that specialise in this area. This includes the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and Victim Support.
	In relation to the funding of support for victims of sexual violence, the Ministry of Justice has improved funding for rape support provision across England and Wales. Rape support centres provide independent, specialist support to victims of both recent and historic sexual violence. Previously, funding for such centres was short-term and piecemeal, leading to the closure of a number of centres and the loss of vital support for victims. As a result, rape support centres are on a secure financial footing for the first time, with 78 centres around the country receiving total grant funding of nearly £4 million a year from 2011 to 2014.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office, police and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) which we sponsor are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010. For the Home Office, a number of offices in Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) have already achieved the RNID "Louder than Words" accreditation, which required the training of staff to communicate with customers and to provide communication support whenever requested, which would include British Sign Language interpreters.

Surveillance

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which public authorities have requested access to communications data and had their request (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  which public authorities have presented a case justifying their acquisition of communications data which have been subsequently considered insufficient by her Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: In order to be able to have access to communications data a public authority must be designated by an Order made under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The last occasion on which such an Order was approved by Parliament was the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) Order 2010.
	More recently, the Government have asked all those bodies that presently have access to communications data to submit a case for continued access, in the context of developing our proposals for the investigation of crime in cyberspace. Ministers are considering these cases.

Terrorism

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 have been examined or detained under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since the Act came into force; and what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average period of detention has been.

James Brokenshire: Information about how many people under the age of 18 have been examined under schedule 7 is not collected centrally. The statutory code of practice for examining officers contains guidance on the examination of people under the age of 18 and other vulnerable people:
	http://tna.europarchive.org/20100419081706/http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-publications/publication-search/legislation/terrorism-act-2000/Code-of-Practice-for-Examin1.pdf?view=Binary
	I will place a copy of the statutory code of practice for examining officers in the House Library.

Terrorism

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nature was of those terrorism-related convictions arising from prosecutions under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since 2010.

James Brokenshire: Offences under schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 are described in paragraph 18 of the schedule. These include wilfully failing to comply with a duty imposed under schedule 7 or wilfully obstructing, or seeking to frustrate, a search or examination. We do not hold information detailing the nature of other terrorism-related convictions arising from arrests at ports.

Terrorism

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2010;
	(2)  how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2011;
	(3)  how many individuals were covered by the (a) terrorism-related charges and (b) terrorism-related convictions which took place under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in 2012.

James Brokenshire: The number of persons arrested for offences under paragraph 18 of Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 and the outcome of arrests, including convictions, for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 was included in Home Office Statistical Bulletin (HOSB 11/12) published on 13 September 2012.
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1112/
	Information collated by the Association of Chief Police Officers indicates that, as a result of Schedule 7 examinations, there were 31 terrorism-related arrests at ports in 2010-11 and 24 terrorism-related arrests at ports in 2011-12

Tickets: Fraud

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle the fraudulent sales of online tickets to concerts and sporting events.

James Brokenshire: The report, produced by Operation Podium, on tackling ticket crime during the London Olympics has made a considerable contribution to the understanding of the ways in which this crime is perpetrated and can be addressed. The Government are currently considering how the lessons learned from this major event can be used to further strengthen the work on tackling ticket fraud more generally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Economy: EU Support

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effect of European Union support on Northern Ireland's economy.

Theresa Villiers: I want to see the EU play a positive role in Northern Ireland's economy which is one of the reasons why I believe we should reform and renegotiate the UK's relationship with Europe to focus it on economic links and the single market. It is also essential that the EU does not impose unnecessary or disproportionate regulatory burdens on businesses in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK.

Organised Crime

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of co-operation between the UK and Irish Governments on tackling organised crime.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given earlier to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Jim Sheridan).

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Attorney-General how many people in the Law Officers' Departments are employed on zero hours contracts.

Oliver Heald: None.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the powers of the new independent assessor of complaints about the Crown Prosecution Service will be; and at what stage of the complaints process that assessor will become involved.

Oliver Heald: The new Independent Assessor of Complaints (IAC) for the Crown Prosecution Service has responsibility for investigating complaints from members of the public in respect of the quality of service provided by the CPS and its adherence to its published complaints procedure. The decision of the IAC in the determination of complaints will be final and the IAC is empowered to make recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions on any aspect of the complaints process. The IAC review will take place at stage three of the CPS complaints procedure.

Police: Wales

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General when he plans to publish the report of Her Majesty's Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service into the collapse of the prosecution of police officers charged with corruption relating to the investigation into the death of Lynette White.

Dominic Grieve: Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) about the prosecution referred to, and the DPP is considering what is appropriate for publication and will seek to do so in due course. Both the Chief Inspector and the DPP are keeping me updated on progress, and I understand that the DPP will also be writing to you directly in relation to this case.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  what the Law Officers' Departments' budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16;
	(2)  how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Oliver Heald: The AGO budget forecast for the Government Car Service in 2013-14 is £94,000. With the exception of this service, which is only used by Ministers, other travel forecasts (air, trains, taxis etc) are for predicted costs across the whole office. We do not have a separate ministerial budget for ministerial travel costs. We do not yet have any forecast figures for 2014-15 and 2015-16.
	The Government Car Service costs are as shown in the TSol departmental resource accounts:
	2012-13: £73,472
	2011-12: £116,017
	2010-11: £124,901.
	Other travel costs for the Attorney-General's Office as published in the TSol departmental resource accounts (taxis, rail, air etc) are for the whole office and include ministerial costs. It is not possible to break down expenditure to show ministerial travel costs without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	The AGO website does record ministers overseas travel costs. These are:
	2012-13: £10,164
	2011-12: £11,492
	2010-11: £1,297 (paid by FCO).

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the level of public understanding of the legal framework around courts and sentencing.

Helen Grant: The Government are committed to bringing about greater understanding of sentencing. Recently we brought in changes, as part of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, stating that courts must explain, in ordinary language, the reasons why certain sentences are given.
	The Ministry of Justice launched the ‘You be the Judge’ website in March 2010. The website gives the opportunity for members of public to put themselves in the judging seat, and pass sentence in eight different scenarios including burglary, murder and vandalism among others.
	On 24 May 2013, the Ministry of Justice published a report, commissioned in early 2013, which analysed the 74,000 complete user experiences of ‘You be the Judge’ to look at the sentences passed by the public and how their views changed. The main findings show that more than 80% of the public would give criminals a sentence that is more lenient or the same as a judge when presented with the full facts of a crime. Also more than two-thirds (69%) of users who started their experience with the view that sentencing was ‘too lenient’, ended the process with the view that it was ‘right’.

Courts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the courts system was of trials rendered ineffective because of court administration errors in each year since 2007.

Helen Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) maintains no central record of the number of trials that were ineffective because of court administration errors. Such data could not be reasonably obtained locally or nationally other than by undertaking a manual exercise of reviewing individual case files at a disproportionate cost. Court data are held by HMCTS on the number of ineffective trials due to ‘court administration reasons’, which covers a range of reasons for trials not going ahead on the day that are attributable neither to the prosecution nor the defence, but it does not record a category of ‘court administration errors’.

Driving Offences: Fines

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was raised from fines for driving whilst uninsured in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Grant: HM Courts and Tribunals Service systems do not identify amounts collected for specific offences and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of all live and closed fine accounts.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) legal support, (b) medical aid, (c) counselling and (d) education and training made available to those who have undergone human trafficking.

Helen Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
	I am satisfied that The Salvation Army, as prime contractor, is successfully delivering tailored support to victims, taking into account their individual needs. This has made a real difference in helping them re-build their lives after their terrible ordeal at the hands of their traffickers. Where required, the support includes access to the services to which the honourable member refers.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the (a) physical and (b) mental health of persons who have undergone human trafficking at the end of the stipulated period of rest and reflection.

Helen Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
	Based on the victim's individual needs, The Salvation Army will ensure that an individual is provided with the appropriate health services to aid their immediate recovery from the trauma of being trafficked. Services offered to victims under the contract include facilitating access to mental health services, emergency medical treatment, housing, substance misuse and sexual health services. The Salvation Army will also ensure that victims are able to continue access these support services once they have received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision.

Human Trafficking: Compensation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) written and (b) oral advice his Department gives to those who have experienced human trafficking on the right to compensation.

Helen Grant: Since 1 July 2011, The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support and assistance to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism.
	When they enter the service provided by The Salvation Army, victims will be informed in a language they understand of their right to submit an application for an award under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. They may also be advised of their right to pursue a claim for damages in the civil courts.
	The Government have recently issued a leaflet which offers help and advice for people who think they may be victims of trafficking. The document explains to victims that they can obtain advice from their legal adviser or from a Citizen's Advice Bureau about any compensation they may be able to claim.

Legal Costs

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total level of costs awarded against defendants was in (a) magistrates courts and (b) the Crown courts in 2011-12; and what proportion of those costs have been recovered.

Helen Grant: The total amount of costs imposed in the 2011-12 financial year are set out in the following table along with details of how much of that had been collected by the end of April 2013:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Value of costs imposed April 2011 to March 2012 8,517,322 
			 Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 collected by end of April 2013 5,280,880 
			 Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 cancelled by end of April 2013 575,639 
			 Value of costs imposed in 2011-12 outstanding by end of April 2013 2,660,803 
		
	
	The amounts quoted include costs imposed in the magistrates and Crown courts and it is not possible to separate these amounts. The amounts cancelled could be either legal cancellations or administrative cancellations and the amount outstanding can include amounts which are not yet due to be paid or the balance on accounts that are being paid by instalments.
	When an offender is ordered to pay costs and they are allowed to pay by instalments, the costs are allocated third after any compensation order and the victim surcharge.

Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met (a) the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (b) any other Scottish Government Minister; and what was discussed at any such meeting.

Helen Grant: The Secretary of State has not had any meetings with Ministers in the Scottish Government since taking up his post in September 2012. However, he regularly corresponds with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on issues of mutual interest areas, and officials work closely with their counterparts in the Scottish Government and the other devolved Administrations.

HEALTH

Childbirth

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many home births there were in each local health authority area in England in each of the last five years; and in each case what proportion this formed of the total number of births for that authority area.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Secretary of State for Health asking how many homebirths there were in each local health authority area in England in each of the last five years; and in each case what proportion this formed of the total number of births for that authority area.
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2011. The tables show the number and percentage of women giving birth at home in each local authority and in each strategic health authority in England for 2007 to 2011. Figures can only be provided by local authority and strategic health authority for England due to disproportionate costs of producing for other health geographies.
	A copy of the tables has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fertility

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the report commissioned by his Department and published by the Infertility Network UK to (a) revise the criteria on existing children when determining eligibility for fertility treatment and (b) standardise funding for fertility treatment across clinical commissioning groups. [R]

Anna Soubry: The Department funded Infertility Network UK, the leading infertility patient support group, to produce advice for NHS Commissioners about standardising eligibility criteria for fertility services. This report is signposted in the “Commissioning fertility services factsheet”, published by NHS England (formerly the NHS Commissioning Board) in February 2013 to support all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in commissioning fertility services. This fact sheet is designed to share key knowledge and understanding as well as highlighting the recent changes such as the updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline.
	The Department has an expectation that CCGs should make progress to implement the recommendations of the NICE Fertility Guideline, including the offer of three cycles of in vitro fertilisation for eligible couples.

Lung Diseases

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address inequalities in regional health outcomes for interstitial lung disease.

Anna Soubry: Reducing mortality and improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease is a key priority for this Government. It is specifically covered in both the Public Health and NHS Outcome Frameworks. NHS England will work to improve the quality of NHS services, and will be held to account through the Mandate.
	NHS England has appointed Professor Mike Morgan as National Clinical Director for respiratory disease as one of its senior appointments.
	Tackling health inequalities will drive the work of NHS England. Inequalities in interstitial lung disease (ILD) care is one of the areas being considered in the specialised commissioning process and the treatment of ILD will be conducted from specialised centres.

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will develop an NHS staff outcomes framework to drive improvements in the care and support provided for staff by the NHS as an employer; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: We have no current plans to develop an NHS staff outcomes framework in addition to those in place for the national health service, public health and adult social care. NHS trusts who are responsible for their staff health and wellbeing, can access up to date advice and guidance to help them plan their staff health and wellbeing improvement strategies from the “Health, Work and Wellbeing” pages on the NHS Employers website at:
	www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/Pages/Home-Healthy.aspx
	This advice and guidance is based on five high impact changes (developing local evidence-based improvement plans; with strong visible leadership; supported by improved management capability; with access to better, local, high-quality accredited occupational health services; where staff are encouraged and enabled to take more responsibility for their health) which were developed following the 2009 Boorman review “NHS Health and Wellbeing”. The impetus to improve NHS staff health and wellbeing was enhanced in April when Ministers and NHS leaders signed a commitment “Healthier Staff, Higher Quality Care” to improve the health and wellbeing of staff who work in health care and we have commissioned work to develop good practice guidance on staff engagement.

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will consider establishing a dedicated workstream under the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programme aimed at improving staff health and wellbeing; and if he will make a statement.
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Daniel Poulter: Responsibility for Quality, Innovation, Productivity and has passed to NHS England. National health service organisations, who are responsible for the health and well-being of their staff, continue to be supported by NHS Employers through a programme of work monitored under its contract with the Department. This programme includes: the identification, production, promotion and mobilisation of good practice; supporting over 100 trusts to develop improvement plans for reducing sickness absence and improving staff health and well-being; developing performance in parts of the NHS with particular challenges (e.g. mental health trusts), supporting the development of occupational health services and developing good practice guidance for staff engagement.

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance for service providers his Department and the NHS Commissioning Board plan to publish on (a) improving staff health and wellbeing and (b) providing NHS staff with access to physiotherapy services.

Daniel Poulter: In respect of improving staff health and well-being, although the principle responsibility lies with individual employers, under its contract with the Department, NHS Employers regularly updates its extensive guidance on improving staff health and well-being which will, in due course, include advice and guidance on staff engagement. The guidance is based on five high impact changes (developing local evidence-based improvement plans; with strong visible leadership; supported by improved management capability; with access to better, local, high-quality accredited occupational health services; where staff are encouraged and enabled to take more responsibility for their health) which were developed following the 2009 Boorman review of ‘NHS Health and Wellbeing’. NHS Employers guidance can be found at:
	www.nhsemployers.org/HealthyWorkplaces/Pages/Home-Healthy.aspx
	The Department has no current plans to issue further guidance on providing NHS staff with access to physiotherapy following last year's publication by NHS Employers of ‘Rapid Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation for NHS staff’ which included case studies highlighting how trusts have improved access to treatment and rehabilitation for their staff including better access to physiotherapy.
	NHS England inform us that it is not within its remit to publish guidance for service providers.

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department had with the NHS Commissioning Board on including staff health and wellbeing in the Board's guidance, Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013-14; and for what reasons staff health and wellbeing was not included in that guidance.

Daniel Poulter: The Government's priorities for the national health service are set out in the Mandate to NHS England, which includes reference to the importance of staff health and well-being. ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14’ sets out the planning framework for NHS commissioners and is a matter for NHS England. The Department has had no discussions with NHS England on including staff health and well-being in ‘Everyone Counts...’.
	NHS England inform us that ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14’ focuses on improving outcomes and delivering the rights and pledges under the NHS Constitution within available resources. In doing so it sets out the expectations that all NHS organisations follow the values set out in the NHS constitution and also within Compassion in Practice, the Chief Nursing Officer's new vision and strategy. This has six areas of action which include improving staff experience.

Social Services: North West

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in the care sector employed on zero-hours contracts in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside and (c) the north-west.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
	Skills for Care, the partner in sector, skills council for social care, has provided the following data following estimates from the National Minimum Dataset for Social Care:
	
		
			 Estimated total number of workers on zero hour contracts 
			 Area Total 
			 North West 37,000 
			 Merseyside 7,250 
			 Wirral 1,750 
			 Source: Skills for Care: Estimated number of jobs 2011 and NMDS-SC April 2013

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Fracking

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish proposals to ensure that local communities benefit from shale gas projects.

Michael Fallon: As we committed in the Budget, the Government will develop proposals by summer 2013 to ensure that local communities will benefit from shale gas projects in their area.

International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the role of the International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group is; and what progress it has made on its objectives.

Gregory Barker: DECC's International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group (ICCEE) is responsible for progressing international action to combat climate change with the EU and worldwide, taking measures to reduce carbon in the UK and improving our energy efficiency.
	I will place a fuller answer in the Libraries of the House.

International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the £3.53 million budget supporting the International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Business Group has been spent on to date.

Gregory Barker: The International Climate Change and Energy Efficiency's research and development budget totalled £3.53 million over the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13. This was spent on a variety of socio-economic projects to gather evidence to support the development of DECC programmes and the Energy Efficiency Strategy.
	This budget is coordinated by the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office and supports research and development across the ICCEE Business Group and related areas in the wider Department.

Plutonium

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the change in the risk of (a) plutonium and (b) other nuclear explosive material being obtained by unauthorised groups if the current UK plutonium stockpile were to be converted into MOX fuel and exported.

Michael Fallon: A final decision on the future management of the UK's plutonium has not been taken. However, MOX, plutonium and other nuclear materials are, and will continue to be, managed with the upmost consideration of security and safety risks in line with stringent international treaties and domestic legislation. Risks change over time and assessments are carried out regularly to inform the approach to security.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in her Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Hugh Robertson: DCMS does not have any officials employed on zero hours contracts.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much funding the Government Equalities Office has allocated to the London Borough of Enfield local authority in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The Government Equalities Office does not allocate funds to local authorities.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax Benefits

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the treatment of child benefit in calculating entitlement to council tax support.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has published guidance to ensure that local authorities understand their existing responsibilities in relation to vulnerable groups and child poverty in designing and implementing council tax support schemes. It is for local authorities to decide how child benefit is treated within local schemes.
	The guidance document “Localising Council Tax Support: Vulnerable people—key local authority duties” is available on the Gov.uk website.

Evictions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been evicted in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of such people have had children.

Mark Prisk: The Department does not collect information on total evictions across all tenures. However numbers of evictions from local authority owned dwellings for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are published in the two most recent statistical releases at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/local-authority-housing-data
	Information is not available on family composition.

Families: Disadvantaged

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the work of the Troubled Families Unit since its creation.

Brandon Lewis: An independent evaluation of the Troubled Families programme has been commissioned and was announced in March. Further information is available on our website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/study-to-assess-impact-of-troubled-families-work
	In addition, my Department regularly publishes progress information on the Troubled Families programme including the cumulative totals of families identified and families being worked with.
	The latest information covering the period up to March 2013 was published in May on our website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-march-2013-and-families-turned-round-at-january-2013

Fire Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the letter from the Fire Minister to the Regulatory Reform Committee, whether he intends in this (a) Parliament and (b) Session to bring forward primary or secondary legislation to amend sections 44 and 45 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act to permit fire authorities to contract out the full provision of fire and rescue services.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 1215-17.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of all expenditure over £250 (or £500 prior to May 2012) are published, each month, on the Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/dclg-spending-over-250
	Legal advice is coded under “Legal Consultancy” and “Legal Fees”.
	I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 483W, which outlines the nature of government litigation and my Department's quasi-judicial functions.

Legal Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 3 June 2013
	Departmental spending on external legal services between 2010-11 and 2012-13 averaged £2.4 million a year. This compares with £3.5 million in 2008-09 and £4.8 million in 2009-10. The spend includes litigation fees paid to the Treasury Solicitor's Department, counsel and solicitors' fees for legal advice and payments to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
	However, figures for external legal spending between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and from 4 September 2012 to May/June 2013 are not directly comparative. This is because, since April 2013, DCLG legal advisers are a division of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, and my Department now pays a fixed fee for day-to-day legal support to the Treasury Solicitor's Department, rather than the service being treated as in-house expenditure.

Local Government: Energy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support has been allocated to local authorities in each year since 2010 to assist them in complying with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Don Foster: The Department has not allocated staff resources or funding for local authorities to meet their obligations under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, other than the advice and assistance that is usually provided to other organisations and members of the public. Council's statutory functions are financed by central Government grant and locally retained revenues.
	The Department has issued clear guidance on Energy Performance Certificates and the regulatory requirements to support local authorities and others to comply with the requirements of the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which came into effect in January 2013. This is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-our-buildings

Local Government: Energy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of compliance by local authorities with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Don Foster: There is no specific requirement on DCLG to assess local authority compliance with the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Where data are available DCLG assesses overall compliance with the directive using information that is easily accessible and which ensures minimal cost to the taxpayer.

Local Government: Energy

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how local authority compliance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is monitored.

Don Foster: There is no specific requirement on DCLG to monitor local authority compliance with the requirements of the energy performance of buildings directive. Where data are available DCLG monitors overall compliance with the directive using information that is easily accessible and which ensures minimal cost to the taxpayer.

Right to Buy Scheme

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority and housing association properties have been sold through the Right to Buy scheme in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) England in each of the last three years.

Mark Prisk: The statistics are collected by local authorities and therefore data on sales are not available at a constituency level. Figures are available at local authority level and can be found in Tables 691 (quarterly data) and 685 (annual data) at these places:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/199104/Table_691.xls
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/200525/Table_685__version_2_.xls
	The figures show that there were 75 sales through the Right to Buy scheme in the East Riding of Yorkshire local authority in the years between 2010-11 and 2012-13. It should be noted that these are sales from local authorities and do not include sales of social housing stock through Preserved Right to Buy made by Registered Providers (such as Housing Associations) as these data are not available at a local authority level.
	Right to Buy sales have trebled in the East Riding since the new discounts were introduced, but there is more to do to inform tenants of their new rights and help them up the ladder of home ownership.
	Following the abolition of regional government by the Coalition, DCLG no longer publishes statistics at a regional level and does not believe that the old regions provide a coherent or meaningful framework for assessing public policy. Instead, our published statistics relate, where relevant, to other local geographies which are more aligned with public policy.
	Figures for local authority and Registered Provider sales through the Right to Buy (or Preserved Buy) scheme at the England level are available on the Department's website in Table 678 here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/199070/Table_678.xls

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Government plans to issue a response to the document, Follow-Up Research: Apprentices' Pay, Training and Working Hours, (Appendix to BIS Research Paper 64, URN BIS/13/532).

Matthew Hancock: It is not standard practice to issue a formal Government response to commissioned research projects such as this.
	The findings were used to inform the recent Richard review so that we can continue to raise the quality of apprenticeships and better meet the needs of employers.

Apprentices

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the sectoral breakdown of apprenticeships is in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) the UK.

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by parliamentary constituency, region and sector subject area are published in a Supplementary Table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR):
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/65659B53-3E92-4E0E-AB62-E106C41B5277/0/Mar2012_Apprenticeships_SSA_Geography_Starts.xls
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/

Apprentices: Females

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of women employed as apprentices in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside, (c) the North West and (d) England in the last three years for which information is available.

Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts by Gender in: Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral local education authorities; the North West region; and England. Final data are shown for the 2009/10 to 2011/12 academic years. We publish apprenticeship starts at region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography, therefore data for Merseyside is not presented.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by geography and gender, 2009/10 to 2011/12 
			  2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Geography Female Male Total Female Male Total Female Male Total 
			 Knowsley LEA 810 620 1,430 1,300 1,280 2,580 1,540 1,370 2,910 
			 Liverpool LEA 1,980 1,490 3,470 3,390 3,080 6,470 4,000 3,290 7,290 
			 Sefton LEA 1,070 900 1,970 2,000 1,370 3,370 2,210 1,630 3,840 
			 St Helens LEA 680 570 1,260 1,130 940 2,070 1,640 1,210 2,850 
			 Wirral LEA 1,230 990 2,210 2,210 1,940 4,140 2,630 2,240 4,870 
			 North West 24,790 22,490 47,280 42,970 35,690 78,660 49,530 39,780 89,310 
			 England total 138,600 141,000 279,700 246,000 211,200 457,200 276,200 244,400 520,600 
			 Notes: 1. Figures for local education authority and region are rounded to the nearest 10, England total figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Arms Trade: Syria

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what reports he has received on the role of Hazel UK Ltd in selling arms from companies based in Eastern Europe to Syria.

Michael Fallon: I have received no such reports

Buildings

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows how many staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's other sites across the UK. To note these figures are at 30 April 2013 and are based on staff on payroll, including UKTI and contingent workers.
	
		
			 Building Location Number of staff 
			 1 Victoria Street London 2703 
			 2 St Paul's Place Sheffield 255 
			 Alexandra House Leeds 16 
			 Apex Court Nottingham 28 
			 Arndale Tower Manchester 19 
			 The Axis -Birmingham Birmingham 34 
			 Bridge House Guildford 8 
			 Cannon House Birmingham 1 
			 Castle View House Runcorn 10 
			 Companies Hse-Card Cardiff 63 
			 CRPTU-Warrington Warrington 2 
			 Eastbrook Cambridge 7 
			 Europa Building Glasgow 36 
			 Exchange House London 21 
			 IOS Manchester Manchester 18 
			 Larkhill Wiltshire 2 
			 Moongate House Gateshead 17 
			 Mowden Hall Darlington 11 
			 Newtown House Warrington 2 
			 NTI Building Birmingham 21 
			 Queensway House Billingham 5 
			 Stanley Barracks Dorset 1 
			 Stella House Newcastle 4 
			 Temple Quays Bristol 11 
			 UKTI—Warrington Warrington 2 
			 Westfield House London 3 
			 Victoria House London 36 
			 Out of Dept(1) — 86 
			 Grand Total — 3422 
			 (1 )Staff out of the Department but still on BIS payroll 
		
	
	I have asked chief executives of the Executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Moss, dated 22 May 2013
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 May 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 1547472.
	The number of full time equivalent staff at each of the four sites Companies House maintains is as follows.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent staff 
			 Cardiff 825.08 
			 London 7.76 
			 Edinburgh 26.14 
			 Belfast 18.72 
			 Total 877.70 
		
	
	Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated May 2013
	The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies other sites across the UK.
	The Insolvency Service has no staff based at One Victoria Street.
	Details of the number of staff, in each of the Insolvency Service's sites, are provided in the table below. Figures are based on the assigned home location held on the HR system.
	
		
			  Insolvency service site Number of staff at site 
			 1 Birmingham (Cannon House site) 346 
			 2 Birmingham (Cobalt Square site) 57 
			 3 Blackpool 47 
			 4 Bournemouth 13 
			 5 Brighton 22 
			 6 Bristol 36 
			 7 Cambridge 27 
			 8 Canterbury (Whitstable) 32 
			 9 Cardiff 34 
			 10 Chester 24 
			 11 Croydon 75 
			 12 Exeter 26 
			 13 Edinburgh 39 
			 14 Gloucester 31 
			 15 Hull 47 
			 16 Ipswich 37 
			 17 Leeds 68 
			 18 Leicester 29 
			 19 Liverpool 26 
			 20 London (Abbey Orchard Street site) 339 
			 21 Manchester 118 
			 22 Medway 24 
			 23 Newcastle 28 
			 24 Northampton 22 
			 25 Norwich 30 
			 26 Nottingham 31 
			 27 Plymouth 36 
			 28 Reading 24 
			 29 Sheffield 32 
			 30 Southampton 24 
			 31 Southend 36 
			 32 St Albans 20 
			 33 Stockton 35 
			 34 Stoke 49 
			 35 Swansea 31 
			 36 Watford 30 
		
	
	
		
			  Staff not included in the above figures due to being currently on career break or special leave without pay 70 
			  Total staff number 1,995 
		
	
	Letter from John Alty, dated 5 June 2013
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21st May 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office has 3 sites and staff numbers in each are as follows:
	Abbey Orchard Street, London - 50
	Concept House, Newport - 931
	Nine Mile Point, Nr. Newport -11
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 22 May 2013
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, asking the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) about staff numbers.
	As at the end of April 2013, NMO had 70 employees and also 3 temporary staff from employment agencies. These were ail based at NMO in Teddington. For future reference, data about NMO staff numbers are updated and published each month in the 'Transparency' section of the NMO website under the following weblink:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/nmo/about/transparency
	Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 29 May 2013
	Further to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK. (157472)
	For question (a) there are 161 (FTE) Skills Funding Agency Staff based at One Victoria Street.
	For question (b) these are the following figures (FTE) for Skills Funding Agency Staff based across all of its other UK sites.
	Birmingham 78, Bristol 33, Chatham 26, Coventry 414, Fareham 37, Gateshead 67, Histon 49, Leeds 74, Liverpool 41, Manchester 76, Nottingham 49, Plymouth 25, Reading 42, Sheffield 14.
	Please note that these figures are as at 30th April 2013.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 24 May 2013
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, "how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK".
	Ordnance Survey has no staff based at One Victoria Street. The numbers of staff based at each of our other offices across Great Britain is as follows:
	
		
			 Region Offices (staff numbers in brackets) Total 
			 East Midlands Nottingham (3), Kettering (1) 4 
			 East of England Cambridge (2), Chelmsford (4), Norwich (1) 7 
			 London SW1 (15) 15 
			 North East Durham (4) 4 
			 North West St Helens (2) 2 
			 Scotland Edinburgh (8), Inverness (2) 10 
			 South East Folkestone (3), Southampton Head Office (836) 839 
		
	
	
		
			 South West Barnstaple (1), Bristol (3), Exeter (4), Poole (3), Truro (1) 12 
			 Wales Llandrindod Wells(3) 3 
			 West Midlands Keele (4), Worcester (1) 5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Hull (3), Rotherham (4) 7 
		
	
	The total of office-based staff is 908. A further 230 staff are classed as full or partial homeworkers.
	I hope this information is helpful.
	Letter from David Parker, dated 23 May 2013
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK.
	The UK Space Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It has seven members of staff based at One Victoria Street, thirty-seven members of staff based at Polaris House, Swindon and three based at the Electron Building, Harwell.
	Letter from John Hirst, dated 28 May 2013
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, UIN 157472, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The following tables show how many staff are located at each site where the Met Office has a presence in the UK.
	
		
			 Main offices 
			  Number 
			 Exeter HQ 1482 
			 Aberdeen 46 
			 Edinburgh 29 
			 London - Clerkenwell Road 14 
			 London - BBC Weather Centre 26 
			 London - Media Unit 7 
		
	
	
		
			 Defence, University and other sites 
			  Number 
			 Aberporth 7 
			 Belfast 12 
			 Benson 10 
			 Birmingham (Highways Agency) 2 
			 Boscombe Down 7 
			 Brize Norton 13 
			 Camborne 4 
			 Cambridge University 1 
			 Cardiff 5 
			 Cardington 10 
			 Coningsby 13 
			 Cranfield University 7 
			 Cranwell 8 
			 Crawley 3 
			 Dishforth 6 
			 Eskdalemuir 2 
			 Glasgow 4 
			 Gutersloh 5 
			 Heathrow 5 
			 Kin Loss 1 
			 Larkhill 6 
			 Lathom 4 
			 Leeming 5 
			 Lerwick 7 
		
	
	
		
			 Leuchars 3 
			 Linton-On-Ouse 8 
			 Lossiemouth 15 
			 Manchester 3 
			 Marham 8 
			 Middle Wallop 5 
			 Noc Southampton 8 
			 Northolt 6 
			 North Wood 8 
			 Odiham 13 
			 Oxford University 1 
			 Pirbright Laboratory 1 
			 Reading University 28 
			 Scampton 3 
			 Shawbury 8 
			 Southampton 1 
			 Valley 7 
			 Waddington 15 
			 Wallingford 3 
			 Warrington 1 
			 Watnall 10 
			 Wattisham 10 
			 Wolverhampton 3 
		
	
	Letter from Paul Hemsley, dated 28 May 2013
	I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 157472 tabled on 21 May 2013 which asked the following:
	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff in his Department and its agencies are based at (a) One Victoria Street and (b) each of his Department's and its agencies' other sites across the UK.
	The table gives the data requested. We have no staff based in Victoria Street.
	I hope you find this information useful.
	
		
			 Land Registry staff numbers by office at 1 May 2013 
			 Office Total 
			 Rosebrae Court, Woodside Ferry Approach, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 6DU 363 
			 Leigh Court, Torrington Avenue, Tile Hill, Coventry CV4 9XZ 231 
			 Trafalgar House, Bedford Park, Croydon CRO 2AQ 292 
			 Southfield House. Southfield Way, Durham DH1 5TR 419 
			 Wrea Brook Court, Lytham Road, Warton, Preston PR4 1TE 274 
			 Twyver House, Bruton Way, Gloucester GL1 1DQ 317 
			 Earle House, Colonial Street, Hull HU2 8JN 246 
			 Seaton Court, 2 William Prance Road, Plymouth International Business Park, Plymouth PL6 5WS 666 
			 Westbridge Place, Leicester LE3 5DR 208 
			 Castle Wharf House, 2 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7AU 402 
			 Stuart House, Zone 1, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1QF 248 
			 Parkside Court, Hall Park Way, Telford TF3 4LR 206 
			 Ty Cwm Tawe, Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea SA7 9FQ 442 
			 Mefcombe Court, 1 Cumberland Drive, Weymouth DT4 9TT 236 
			 Total 4,550

Buildings

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region.

Jo Swinson: The following table shows the locations of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, offices and premises in each region.
	
		
			 BIS Office Location Region 
			 1 Victoria Street London London 
			 St Pauls Place Sheffield South Yorkshire 
			 Alexandra House Leeds West Yorkshire 
			 Apex Court Nottingham East Midlands 
			 Arndale Tower Manchester North West 
			 The Axis—Birmingham Birmingham West Midlands 
			 Bridge House Guildford South East 
			 Cannon House Birmingham West Midlands 
			 Castle View House Runcorn North West 
			 Companies House Cardiff Wales 
			 Europa House Glasgow Scotland 
			 Exchange House London London 
			 IOS Manchester Manchester North West 
			 Larkhill Wiltshire South West 
			 Moongate House Gateshead North East 
			 Mowden Hall Darlington North East 
			 NTI Building Birmingham West Midlands 
			 Queensway House Billingham North East 
			 Stanley Barracks Dorset South West 
			 Stella House Newcastle North East 
			 Temple Quays Bristol South West 
			 Warrington Warrington North West 
			 Victoria House London London 
			 Westfield House London London 
		
	
	I have asked chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Moss, dated 22 May 2013
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21 May 2013, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, UIN 157473.
	Companies House has four offices in the UK and the locations of each are given below.
	Companies House
	Crown Way
	Cardiff
	CF14 3UZ
	Companies House
	4 Abbey Orchard Street
	London
	SWIH2PT
	Companies House
	4(th) Floor
	Edinburgh Quay 2
	139 Fountainbridge
	Edinburgh
	EH3 9FF
	Companies House
	2(nd) Floor
	The Linenhall
	32-38 Linenhall Street
	Belfast
	BT2 8BG
	Letter from Dr Richard Judge, dated 24 May 2013
	The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region.
	The locations of the offices/premises of the Insolvency Service are shown below, using the Office of National Statistics' definition of regions:
	
		
			  Region Insolvency Service Office Location 
			 1. East Midlands Leicester 
			 2.  Northampton 
			 3.  Nottingham 
			    
			 4. East of England Watford 
			 5.  Cambridge 
			 6.  Ipswich 
			 7.  Norwich 
			 8.  Southend 
			 9.  St Albans 
			    
			 10. London Abbey Orchard St 
			 11.  Croydon 
			    
			 12. North East Newcastle 
			 13.  Stockton 
			    
			 14. North West Blackpool 
			 15.  Chester 
			 16.  Liverpool 
			 17.  Manchester 
			    
			 18. Scotland Edinburgh 
			    
			 19. South East Brighton 
			 20.  Canterbury/Whitstable 
			 21.  Medway 
			 22.  Reading 
			 23.  Southampton 
			    
			 24. South West Bournemouth 
			 25.  Bristol 
			 26.  Exeter 
			 27.  Gloucester 
		
	
	
		
			 28.  Plymouth 
			    
			 29. Wales Cardiff 
			 30.  Swansea 
			    
			 31. West Midlands Birmingham Cannon House 
			 32.  Birmingham Cobalt Square 
			 33.  Stoke-on-Trent 
			    
			 34. Yorkshire and the Humber Hull 
			 35.  Leeds 
			 36.  Sheffield 
		
	
	Letter from John Alty
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 21st May 2013, to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office (Executive Agency of BIS) has three premises:
	Headquarters: Concept House, Newport, South Wales (freehold)
	Filestore: Unit 6, Nine Mile Point Industrial Estate, Cwmfelinfach, South Wales (leased)
	London Office: 1st floor, Abbey Orchard Street, London (leased)
	Letter from Peter Mason, dated 22 May 2013
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO), an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, asking the BIS Secretary of State about the location of the offices and premises of BIS and its agencies.
	The location of NMO's offices and premises is at Stanton Avenue, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 OJZ, United Kingdom.
	Letter from Kim Thorneywork, dated 29 May 2013
	Further to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region. (157473)
	For question (b) the Skills Funding Agency currently has offices and premises in the following locations:
	Birmingham, Bristol, Chatham, Coventry, Fareham, Gateshead, Histon, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Reading, Sheffield.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 24 May 2013
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, "what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region".
	The full list of Ordnance Survey's office locations by region is as follows:
	
		
			 Region Location 
			 East Midlands Nottingham 
			  Kettering 
			   
			 East of England Cambridge 
			  Chelmsford 
			  Norwich 
		
	
	
		
			   
			 London London SW1 
			   
			 North East Durham 
			   
			 North West St Helens 
			   
			 Scotland Edinburgh 
			  Inverness 
			   
			 South East Folkestone 
			  Southampton 
			   
			 South West Barnstaple 
			  Bristol 
			  Exeter 
			  Poole 
			  Truro 
			   
			 Wales Llandrindod Wells 
			   
			 West Midlands Keele 
			  Worcester 
			   
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Hull 
			  Rotherham 
		
	
	The majority of Ordnance Survey staff are based at our head office in Southampton. The regional offices support our data collection activity.
	I hope this information is helpful.
	Letter from David parker, dated 22 May 2013
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills asking what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region.
	The UK Space Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The locations of its offices and premises are Polaris House, Swindon, One Victoria Street, London and the Electron Building, Harwell.
	Letter from John Hirst, dated 23 May 2013
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 21 May 2013, UIN 157473, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Met Office's headquarters is in Exeter and it is here that most of our staff are based, along with our main IT infrastructure, Operations Centre and National Meteorological Library.
	We also have a forecast office in Aberdeen that provides operational resilience to Exeter and delivers critical marine services across the UK and around the world.
	The Radiological Incident Management Network (RIMNET) is operated from London, on behalf of DECC.
	Smaller shared offices in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff provide for a range of functions including delivery of the Public Weather Service, observations quality control and customer management.
	The Met Office also has staff operating across the UK at observation sites and in third party premises, for example forecasters at a number of defence bases, researchers with university departments and within customer organisations, including the BBC.
	Letter from Paul Hemsley, dated 28 May 2013
	I write on behalf of Land Registry in response to Parliamentary Question 157473 tabled on 21 May 2013 which asked the following:
	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the locations are of the offices and premises of (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible in each region.
	The tables give the data requested.
	I hope you find this information useful.
	
		
			 Land Registry buildings occupied by Land Registry staff 
			 Office Building Name Building Address Post code Region 
			 Nottingham Castle Wharf House Castle Wharf House, Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG1 7AU East Midlands 
			 Birkenhead Rosebrae Court Rosebrae Ct, Woodside Ferry Approach, Birkenhead. CH41 6DU North West 
			 Coventry Leigh Court Leigh Court, Torrington Avenue, Tile Hill, Coventry CV4 9XZ West Midlands 
			 Croydon Trafalgar House Trafalgar House, 1 Bedford Park, Croydon CRO 2AQ South East 
			 Durham Southfield House Southfield House, Southfield Way, Durham DH1 5TR North East 
			 Fylde Wrea Brook Court Wrea Brook Court, Lytham Road, Warton, Preston PR4 1TE North West 
			 Gloucester Twyver House Twyver House, Brunton Way, Gloucester GL1 1DQ South West 
			 Hull Earle House Earle House, Portland Street, Hull HU2 8JN North East 
			 Plymouth Seaton Court Seaton Court, 2 William Prance Road, Plymouth International Business Park, Plymouth PL6 5WS South West 
			 Leicester Westbridge Place Westbridge Place, Duns Lane, Leicester LE3 5DR East Midlands 
			 Peterborough Stuart House Zone 1, Stuart House, City Road, Peterborough PE1 1QF East Midlands 
			 Telford Parkside Court Parkside Court, Hall Park Way, Telford TF3 4LR West Midlands 
		
	
	
		
			 Swansea TyCwm Tawe Ty Cwm Tawe, Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea SA7 9FQ North Wales 
			 Swansea Pennard House Pennard House, Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea SA7 9ZZ North Wales 
			 Weymouth Melcombe Court 1 Cumberland Drive, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9TB South West 
		
	
	
		
			 Land Registry buildings not occupied by Land Registry staff 
			 Office Building Name Building Address Post code Region Comment 
			 York James House James House, James Street, York YO1 3YZ North Yorkshire No longer a Land Registry occupied building and is surplus to requirements. 
			 Birkenhead Old Market House Old Market House, Hamilton Street, Birkenhead CH41 5AL North West Fully occupied by another Government Department. 
			 Stevenage Brickdale House Brickdale House, Swingate, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 1XG South East Surplus to requirements and on market for disposal. 
			 Plymouth Drakes Hill Court Drakes Hill Court Burrington Way, Plymouth PL5 3LP South West Surplus to requirements and sale progressing. 
			 Nottingham Chalfont Drive Chalfont Drive, Nottingham NG8 3RN East Midlands Sale is progressing for redevelopment as housing.

Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 15 April 2013, Official Report, column 261W, on climate change, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of the statistical model upon which the two statements were based relative to a driftless autoregressive integrated model.

Michael Fallon: The use of a driftless autoregressive integrated model is not relevant to these statements, and therefore an assessment of this statistical model has not been made.

Conditions of Employment

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in his Department are employed on zero hours contracts.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not employ anyone on zero-hour contracts.

Construction: Vetting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) individuals and (ii) organisations on the subject of the blacklisting of construction workers.

Jo Swinson: There have been two discussions with individuals or organisations about blacklisting of construction workers (we have assumed that the reference to individuals means members of the public).
	I had a telephone conversation with the Information Commissioner in January 2013 about progress being made to contact individuals on the Consulting Association's blacklist.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met the Information Commissioner on 2 April 2013. At this meeting, the Information Commissioner provided an update on progress made to contact individuals named on the Consulting Association's blacklist. The Information Commissioner also reassured the Secretary of State that he would investigate thoroughly any evidence that blacklisting is ongoing, using the additional powers of enforcement he has been given since 2010. To date, we have received no evidence that blacklisting is ongoing, though Ministers are keen to encourage individuals to come forward with any new evidence.

Construction: Vetting

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that the blacklisting of construction workers does not take place.

Jo Swinson: Blacklisting is an abhorrent practice. That is why, in response to the findings of the investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office into the Consulting Association, and subsequent consultation, the Government legislated in 2010 to prohibit the use of blacklists. The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 make it unlawful, subject to certain exemptions, to compile, use, sell or supply 'prohibited lists', ie a blacklist. Individuals who believe they are being excluded from employment because of a blacklist should seek redress in county courts in England and Wales, or Court of Session in Scotland. Other rights under the regulations can be enforced in employment tribunals.
	The creation, supply or use of a blacklist is also likely to amount to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 as information about the individual's membership of a trade union is sensitive personal data. The Information Commissioner has the power, increased in 2010, to impose fines, up to £500,000 for serious breaches, on data controllers who unlawfully process data. This can include not only the individual or company that created the blacklist, but any employer or agency using it for employment vetting.
	It is also unlawful under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 to refuse to employ a person because they are a member or not a member of a trade union, or because they refuse to join or leave a trade union. It is equally unlawful for an agency to refuse employment services on those grounds. An individual can bring an employment tribunal claim within three months of the offence taking place, or longer if the tribunal decides it was not reasonably practicable to bring the claim in time.
	To date, we have received no evidence that blacklisting is ongoing, though Ministers are keen to encourage individuals to come forward with any new evidence. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met the Information Commissioner on 2 April 2013 to discuss how any new evidence would be handled.

Credit: Licensing

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average waiting time was for applications for a consumer credit licence in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the UK in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

Jo Swinson: The following table gives details of the average processing time for applications for a consumer credit licence in 2010, 2011 and 2012:
	
		
			  Total number of applications Mean processing time (working days) 
			  2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 
			 Scotland 507 431 457 23 26 21 
			 England 6,491 6,097 5,970 23 28 24 
			 Wales 327 301 274 25 29 25 
			 Northern Ireland 209 194 211 21 25 19

Credit: Licensing

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for consumer credit licences in (a) Scotland and (b) other parts of the UK are currently awaiting a decision.

Jo Swinson: For Scotland, there are 44 open (no decision made) new consumer credit licence applications with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) at close of play on 4 June 2013.
	For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, there are 617 open (no decision made) new consumer credit licence applications with the OFT at close of play on 4 June 2013.

Directors

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions his Department's external non-executive directors have met since May 2010.

Jo Swinson: The Department's non-executive directors met at board meetings on 25 June 2010, 22 July 2010, 30 September 2010, 25 November 2010, 27 January 2011, 31 March 2011, 17 May 2011, 24 May 2011, 19 July 2011, 29 November 2011, 24 January 2012, 29 February 2012, 17 April 2012, 25 June 2012, 28 June 2012, 18 September 2012, 22 November 2012, 21 January 2013, 11 February 2013, 15 April 2013 and 18 April 2013.

Exports: South East Asia

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 6 November 2012, Official Report, column 593W, on exports: South East Asia, what future approach he plans to adopt on promoting and delivering the Headstart initiative.

Michael Fallon: The Headstart pilot provides access to office-space and locally established UK expertise in three South East Asian markets: Indonesia; Singapore and Thailand. The scheme is offered by the local British Chambers of Commerce in association with UKTI and the UK-ASEAN Business Council.
	On 12 November 2012 the Prime Minister announced that UK Trade & Investment would work with overseas British business networks, including British Chambers of Commerce in 20 pilot markets—including those in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand—to strengthen the support to UK SMEs in these markets over the next 3-5 years.
	UK Trade & Investment is providing seed-corn funding so that overseas business networks can build business to business support capability, including building up the range and quality of SME services such as Headstart.
	UK Trade & Investment will promote this offer to UK business alongside key national partners, including the British Chambers of Commerce, UK-ASEAN Business Council, UK India Business Council, trade associations and local chambers of commerce.

Research: Tuberculosis

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to support UK-based research into new drugs to enhance the treatment of those infected with tuberculosis.

David Willetts: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. It is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The MRC supports a wide portfolio of research on tuberculosis, examples of current UK-based research into new drugs to enhance treatments are provided:
	Dr Giancarlo Biagini, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine:
	Lead series development and optimisation of a new drug against active and latent tuberculosis (£1.0 million)
	Professor Gurdyal Besra, University of Birmingham:
	The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope: unravelling complex cell wall assembly and the identification of potential new drug targets (£1.5 million)
	The MRC also supports research in this area at the National Institute of Medical Research:
	Dr Douglas Young, MRC NIMR:
	Mycobacteria and the host response (£7 million from October 2005)
	Further details of these projects and other MRC research in this area can be found on the RCUK Gateway to Research:
	http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/
	The MRC funds investigator-led research in response-mode and encourages research proposals from the academic community. The MRC funds research on the development of new treatments through its main research grant schemes and also through Biomedical Catalyst Confidence in Concept (feasibility) awards. The MRC also funds clinical trials addressing tuberculosis from a global health perspective though an MRC/Wellcome/DIFD joint trials partnership, and through the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).
	The MRC always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.

Royal Mail

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether prospective purchasers of Royal Mail will be permitted to divest the business of the Postcode Address File.

Michael Fallon: The Government do not intend to place any specific restrictions on a future owner of Royal Mail with regards to its assets.
	A decision by Royal Mail to sell any of its assets would need to meet the directors' duty to act in the best interests of the company.

Royal Mail

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether prospective purchasers of Royal Mail will be permitted to divest the business of its international parcels business, General Logistics Systems.

Michael Fallon: Our intention is to give Royal Mail real commercial freedom and future access to private sector capital by selling shares in Royal Mail this financial year—2013/14. Placing restrictions on GLS or other matters would not be consistent with that policy.
	GLS is a profitable part of the Royal Mail business and a contributor to its results. Any decisions on its future, after a sale, would be taken in that context and would be a matter for Royal Mail.

Skilled Workers: Internet

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency have signed up to (i) seek jobs and (ii) offer jobs on the Talent Retention Solution website.

Michael Fallon: The Talent Retention Solution (TRS) is a privately owned, funded, and operated organisation, and this information is not available in the level of detail requested from official sources. Inquiries of this nature should therefore be referred to Chris Jarman, Director of Winchester Consulting (the company that provides the TRS service) at:
	www.wincon.co.uk
	However, we understand there are currently over 600 advanced manufacturing and engineering companies engaged with the TRS; over 3,600 people are registered on the system; and there are around 2,000 live vacancies shown, of which around 130 are in Scotland.

Student Loans

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of new part-time undergraduate entrants to university have been awarded tuition fee loans in 2012-13.

David Willetts: Information on the number of students receiving tuition fee loans is provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). Figures shown in the table for the current academic year 2012/13 are based on the status of part-time applications for Tuition Fee Support in May 2013, eight months into the academic year. These have been updated since my reply on 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 881W. The processing of applications is continual and so the figures are subject to change throughout the academic year.
	
		
			 Number of part-time applicants(1,4) for Tuition Fee support in the 2012 entry cohort in academic year 2012/13: English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU students studying in England/ Position as at 27 May 2013 
			  Number 
			 Total number of applicants 38,600 
			 Of which:  
			 Eligible (approved for payment)(2) 34,200 
			 Ineligible(3) 300 
			 Decision pending on payment approval or eligibility 4,100 
			 (1 )Excludes deleted applications. (2 )Excluding those found to be ineligible. (3 )Includes those who are found to be ineligible subsequently after being approved for payment. (4) Figures are rounded to nearest 100 applicants. 
		
	
	Statistics on the number of part-time undergraduate entrants to higher education in the academic year 2012/13 will be published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.

Students: Radicalism

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent radicalisation by Islamist preachers of students in further education colleges and universities.

David Willetts: Universities and colleges have been targeted by some extremist organisations seeking to radicalise and recruit students. Institutions have a clear role to play in safeguarding vulnerable people, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) supports them to do so.
	BIS has put in place 10 regional co-ordinators who work with universities and colleges to provide advice on the risks associated with external speakers and support institutions to have effective policies to manage events. We have worked with Universities UK to produce a website which gives guidance to institutions on these risks, enabling them to share best practice and safeguard their students from radicalisation.
	All students unions have received guidance on minimising risk from all types of hate speakers from the National Union of Students, supported by BIS. Guidance for institutions will follow this summer from Universities UK.
	Students unions and institutions also have responsibilities under charities legislation in relation to extremism of all kinds. The Charity Commission is working to embed understanding of these responsibilities through workshops and visits.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Jo Swinson: The Department receives no financial or non financial benefits from its own or its Executive agencies' telephone providers.

TREASURY

Banks

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to bring forward proposals to place a requirement on retail banks to implement a duty of care to customers when offering financial products for sale.

Sajid Javid: The Government have no plans to bring in a duty of care for retail banks when offering financial products for sale. A duty of care would not give retail banks a clear view of the conduct that is 'expected of them or add anything to regulatory or other legal requirements that already apply relating to the sale of financial products.

Child Trust Fund

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on consultation regarding options to transfer savings held in child trust funds into Junior ISAs; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The consultation on allowing the transfer of savings from child trust funds to Junior ISAs was published on 14 May and will close on 6 August.
	The consultation looks at whether transfers should be allowed and asks if so, then on what basis.
	The Government propose that voluntary transfers from child trust funds to Junior ISAs should be allowed if requested by the registered contact for an account, but also asks for opinions on any alternative proposals.

Council Tax

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to take into consideration the level of local council tax precept in any cuts to individual police forces in his Department's upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Danny Alexander: HM Treasury will set departmental expenditure limits as part of the spending round, but decisions on funding allocations for individual police forces are made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
	The draft council tax referendums principles are laid before Parliament each year alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Proposals around the council tax referendums principles and police precepts in 2015-16 will be announced in due course.
	Setting the police precept is a matter for individual Police and Crime Commissioners to decide taking into account the views of the local community and Police and Crime Panels.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on possible extensions of the rural fuel duty rebate scheme;
	(2)  for which rural areas in the UK it is the Government's policy to seek further derogations from the EU in respect of the fuel duty rebate;
	(3)  what recent representations he has received on potential extensions of the Rural Fuel Duty Rebate Scheme.

Sajid Javid: Motorists on the Scottish islands and the Isles of Scilly are benefitting from a 5p per litre discount on pump prices since the Government introduced the rural fuel rebate pilot scheme last year.
	The Government will consider whether to seek EU approval for an extension of the scheme to remote parts of the UK that are likely to display similar cost characteristics to the islands.
	Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of authorities as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Financial Services: Scotland

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Bank of England have had with the Scottish Government on the (i) governance arrangements of macroprudential and microprudential regulation of the financial system in an independent Scotland and (ii) future composition of the Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England.

Danny Alexander: The Treasury has had no correspondence with the Scottish Government on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK or on the membership of the Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England.
	The Bank of England's engagement with other stakeholders is a matter for the Bank of England.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many petrol stations in Northern Ireland have been (a) inspected and (b) shut down in relation to fuel smuggling and laundering in each year since 2007; and how many owners of such petrol stations have been prosecuted in each such year.

Sajid Javid: It is not possible to identify the number of prosecutions relating specifically to the sale of laundered fuel. However, the Government has detected, disrupted and/or dismantled the following:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2006-07  
			 Laundering Plants 18 
			 Stations 47 
			 Huxter Sites 40 
			   
			 2007-08  
			 Laundering Plants 8 
			 Stations 46 
			 Huxter Sites 53 
			   
			 2008-09 5 
			 Laundering Plants 70 
			 Stations  
			 Huxter Sites 72 
			   
			 2009-10  
			 Laundering Plants 16 
			 Stations 52 
			 Huxter Sites 37 
			   
			 2010-11  
			 Laundering Plants 20 
			 Stations 27 
			 Huxter Sites 39 
			   
			 2011-12  
			 Laundering Plants 29 
			 Stations 100 
		
	
	
		
			 Huxter Sites 97 
			   
			 2012-13  
			 Laundering Plants 22 
			 Stations 75 
			 Huxter Sites 53 
		
	
	Stations would generally be garage, forecourt and possible shop. ‘Huxter’ would include, for example, single pumps or sales from car washes.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many litres of laundered fuel have been seized in Northern Ireland in each year since 2007.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs seizes many kinds of fraudulent fuel, but does not keep specific records of the proportion of laundered fuel seized.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cooperation between authorities in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland in relation to countering fuel smuggling and fuel laundering.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs chairs the quarterly meeting of the Cross Border Fuel group, a sub group of the Organised Crime Task Force. This group has representation from HMRC, PSNI, SOCA, An Garda Siochana, the Revenue Commissioners, Criminal Assets Bureau and the Environment Agencies both north and south of the border. Consequently operational co-operation and understanding is considerable.
	The two Revenue Authorities are also working closely together to identify possible improved marker technology.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted in Northern Ireland for offences relating to fuel smuggling and fuel laundering since 2007.

Sajid Javid: The information requested is given as follows:
	
		
			  Prosecutions Convictions 
			 2007-08 (1)6 0 
			 2008-09 (1)10 10 
			 2009-10 1 1 
			 2010-11 1 4 
			 2011-12 14 5 
			 2012-13 7 8 
			 (1) Cases. 
		
	
	The figures for the first two years shown are provided by the Crown Prosecution Service and therefore those in the first column are for cases prosecuted rather than individuals charged. Figures in column one for subsequent years are HM Revenue and Customs figures and relate to individuals charged. Figures for all years in the second column are for individuals convicted.

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the memorandum of understanding with the Irish Republic regarding the development of a new fuel marker.

Sajid Javid: The joint Republic of Ireland UK memorandum of understanding was signed in May 2012:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/ channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel= pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD1_032150&property Type=document
	As a result of this agreement an Invitation to Make Submissions (IMS) was published in June 2012:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel= pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD1_032155&property Type=document
	12 submissions have been received suggesting a number of different marker products. These are currently being evaluated and the Revenue Authorities are committed to completing this as early as possible.

G20: Russia

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what matters were discussed at the Third Sherpas' Meeting held within the framework of Russia's G20 Presidency in St Petersburg on 11-12 May 2013; what papers were submitted to the meeting by the UK; and if he will post on his departmental website details of the decisions taken at this meeting.

Hugo Swire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	At the G20 Sherpa meeting on 11-12 May 2013, G20 Sherpas discussed: priorities for the G20 Summit (planned for 5-6 September 2013); the views of business, civil society and labour organisations; the outcomes of the Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' meeting (which took place on 18-19 April); and plans for the joint G20 Employment and Finance Ministers meeting (planned for 19 July).
	Further details of the Russian presidency's priorities for the G20 in 2013 are available at:
	http://www.g20.org
	The UK did not submit any papers to this meeting and no final decisions were taken.

Income Tax: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to First Annual Report on the Implementation and Operation of Part 3 (Financial Provisions) of the Scotland Act 2012, if he will provide a breakdown, by cost heading, of the expected £45 million costs of implementing the Scottish rate of income tax.

David Gauke: HMRC have previously set out that the cost of implementing the Scottish rate of income tax will be £40 million to £45 million, of which around £10 million is expected to relate to IT systems changes. This is a provisional estimate made at the time the Scotland Bill was introduced to Parliament. As set out in paragraph 16 of the Annual Report, work planned in 2013-14 will lead to a more accurate estimate of the cost of identifying Scottish taxpayers, which will be the major element of non-IT costs for the Scottish rate project. The estimate for the IT costs will be refined further during 2014-15 when this aspect of the work commences.

Income Tax: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 463W, on income tax: Scotland, what he expects the cost of implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax to be in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; and what proportion of these costs will be borne by (i) HM Revenue and Customs and (ii) the Scottish Government.

David Gauke: HMRC estimate that the cost of implementing the Scottish rate of income tax in 2013-14 will be around £750,000. As part of the work to implement the Scottish rate, HMRC will be producing estimates of the costs for 2014-15 and 2015-16 and these will be included in future annual implementation reports. As set out in a memorandum of understanding between HMRC and the Scottish Government, the costs for all additional work undertaken by HMRC as a result of implementing the Scottish rate will be paid for by the Scottish Government.

Minimum Wage

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many enforcement actions have been taken by HM Revenue and Customs regarding the national minimum wage in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; how many have resulted in criminal proceedings against companies in each such year; and how many have been reported to the Crown Prosecution Service or Procurator Fiscal but no action taken.

David Gauke: For details of the number of non-compliant employers against which enforcement action was taken, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 April 2013, Official Report, column 67W.
	For details of the number of criminal prosecutions for minimum wage offences, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, column 1148W.
	For details of referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service or Procurator Fiscal, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 April 2013, Official Report, column 815W.

Public Expenditure

Therese Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what cash sums (a) were given in block grants to the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) in each of the last five years and (b) have been allocated to the NIE in the next three years;
	(2)  what cash sums (a) were given in block grants to the Welsh Government in each of the last five years and (b) have been allocated to that Government for the next three years;
	(3)  what cash sums (a) were given in block grants to the Scottish Government in each of the last five years and (b) have been allocated to that Government for the next three years.

Danny Alexander: This information is included in the following table. The data for 2015-16 will be will be published as part of the spending review announcements on 26 June.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			  Outturn Outturn Outturn Outturn Estimated outturn Plans Plans 
			 Scottish Government:        
			 Resource 24,481 25,489 26,151 25,812 25,822 26,443 26,511 
			 Capital 3,333 3,927 3,284 2,732 2,961 2,632 2,860 
			 Welsh Government:        
			 Resource 13,011 13,753 14,022 13,903 13,681 14,188 14,196 
			 Capital 1,627 1,932 1,751 1,386 1,363 1,304 1,431 
			 Northern Ireland Executive:        
			 Resource 9,185 9,633 9,964 9,856 10,034 10,073 10,105 
			 Capital 1,307 1,277 1,192 1,000 969 931 1,025

Social Rented Housing

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards the Government's policy of giving social landlords certainty until 2025 as outlined in Budget 2013.

Danny Alexander: Budget 2013 announced that at the 2015-16 spending round, the Government will set out a social rental policy that gives social landlords certainty until 2025.
	The 2015-16 spending round will be published on 26 June 2013.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department receives any financial or non-financial benefit from its telephone providers for telephone lines that (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible operate, including but not limited to (i) a share of call revenue, (ii) a reduction in the Department's telephone bill or tariff and (iii) telephony services for free or at a reduced price.

Sajid Javid: HM Treasury and the agencies for which it is responsible do not receive any financial or non-financial benefit from their telephone provider for telephone lines that they use.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure HM Revenue and Customs incurred on Government publicity campaigns to prevent tobacco smuggling in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Sajid Javid: I can confirm that HM Revenue and Customs has not incurred any expenditure on Government publicity campaigns to prevent tobacco smuggling in 2011-12 or 2012-13.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Sajid Javid: Departmental budgets for travel are not currently held at the level you have requested.
	The allocated budget for the Government Car Service for 2013-4 and 2014-15 is £200,000 per year. The allocated budget for the Government Car Service in 2009-10 was £468,831.
	Budgets for 2015-16 are not yet available.

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Sajid Javid: Please see the following table which provides details of departmental spend on ministerial travel from April 2009 to March 2013:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Private hire 450 0 5,351 130 
			 Taxis 27,764 15,367 11,646 6,772 
			 Rail 27,229 36,879 25,973 26,907 
			 Aviation 154,574 150,388 177,752 174,876 
			 Other—overseas other travel and public transport 15,813 27,184 7,017 14,311 
			 Government Car Service 532,036 281,537 152,309 205,796 
			 Total 757,866 511,355 368,552 428,792 
		
	
	Please note that the costs for the Government Car Service may include some payments for the movement of ministerial boxes. These payments cannot be separately identified within the disproportionate cost threshold.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Air Travel

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what amount was spent by her Department on (a) business, (b) first and (c) economy class airline tickets in each of the last three years.

Justine Greening: The following table provides details of travel expenditure by DFID in each of the last three years:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Economy Business First 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 2,228,418 1,477,652 0 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 3,329,461 1,412,887 0 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 4,025,851 1,262,164 0

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding the Government have provided to Burma to promote religious tolerence and multi-faith initiatives.

Hugo Swire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf the Department for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
	The Government, through the British embassy, are helping fund an inter-faith project delivered by a local non-government organisation. £9,908 has been allocated for this work which aims to raise awareness of inter-faith peace building concepts among young people to encourage reconciliation between communities. The Department for International Development does not have any specific programmes which promote inter-faith and religious tolerance in Burma, but is working with a range of partners, including faith-based organisations, to support peace and reconciliation in Burma.
	More generally, the British Government continue to call on the Burmese authorities to sign up to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which includes commitments on protecting religious freedoms. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I raised this issue with the Burmese Foreign Minister during his visit to the UK in February.

Conflict Resolution

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent work her Department has undertaken with the Ministry of Defence in the field of conflict resolution; what plans she has for further work with the Ministry of Defence in future; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what conflict resolution activities her Department has undertaken in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how much was spent by her Department on conflict resolution in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and DFID work together closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to resolve conflict. In Afghanistan we work together to support Afghan efforts to achieve a political settlement that will secure peace and stability. Globally our joint efforts are guided by the Building Stability Overseas Strategy which focuses on conflict prevention and helps to build strong, legitimate institutions and stable societies, so fragile countries become more resilient.
	All three departments are members of the National Security Council which is the main forum for collective discussion of the Government's objectives for national security.
	The tri-departmental (DFID, FCO, MOD) Conflict Pool provides funding for conflict prevention, stabilisation and peace keeping activities.
	In addition to working with the MOD and FCO, DFID undertakes a wide range of activities to build peaceful states and societies. By 2014-15 DFID will spend 30% of bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) in countries that are fragile or affected by conflict. Twenty one of DFID's twenty eight priority countries fall into this category. Some examples of conflict resolution activities DFID has supported in the last five years includes work in Kenya on post-election violence in 2008 and preparations for elections in 2013; support to the Comprehensive Peace Accord in the run up to independence in South Sudan in 2011; and support to UN mediation efforts in Yemen.
	Details of DFID expenditure by sector are published annually in Statistics on international Development. Given the breadth of its activity DFID's total funding for conflict resolution cannot be readily disaggregated from the Department's ODA reporting. The following table lists expenditure recorded under “civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution”.
	
		
			 Financial year £000 
			 2011-12 21,597 
			 2010-11 20,497 
			 2009-10 39,409 
			 2008-09 61,327 
			 2007-08 66,941 
		
	
	Conflict resolution activities are only a narrow part of the range of work which DFID supports and which contribute to building peaceful states and societies. Overall funding for this area is increasing.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to support UK-based research into new drugs to enhance the treatment of those suffering from diseases connected with poverty, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is in the final stages of an open competition for product development research, for diseases of poverty, including HIV, TB and malaria. Funding through product development partnerships (PDPs) enables the best global research and development for new technologies to be taken forward. The PDPs bidding are international partnerships which include UK-based partners, both from the public and private sectors, with expertise in diagnostic, drug and vaccine development.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to ensure funding for future research and development into new technologies for HIV, TB and malaria.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is in the final stages of an open competition for product development research, for diseases of poverty including HIV, TB and malaria. I anticipate that the business cass for those successful in the competition will be sent to me for approval for funding within the next two months.

Developing Countries: Third Sector

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her timetable is for providing funding to civil society for resilience initiatives.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is already providing significant funding to civil society organisations to help build resilience through our country programmes and through our Programme Partnership Arrangements. This year we are developing further resilience programmes, including in the Sahel, that will help finance civil society's important contribution to this agenda. The new programme for the Sahel will be launched in the autumn.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the level of investment in research and development for new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for tuberculosis in developing countries; and what assessment she has made of the effect of such investment.

Lynne Featherstone: There is an ongoing need for Research and Development (R&D) for new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries. The UK Government has supported TB R&D, providing over £40 million, since 2005. There are two new combinations of drugs currently in development which, if effective, will reduce standard treatment times from six to four months and will be effective against both drug sensitive and drug resistant TB. The number of TB vaccine candidates in clinical development has increased from one to 10, and six TB diagnostic tests have been approved by the World Health Organisation, after 100 years of using the same diagnostic tools.

Developing Countries: Tuberculosis

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to encourage industrial development of (a) diagnostics, (b) drugs and (c) vaccines for tuberculosis; and what assessment she has made of the effect new technologies would have on rates of the disease.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government have invested in research and development of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines for tuberculosis (TB) supporting a number of public private product development partnerships (PDPs). PDPs bring together public and private industrial partners to work together to develop new technologies.
	It has been estimated that rapid diagnosis, and subsequent appropriate treatment, of TB can save half a million lives each year. New diagnostic tests have speeded up initiating treatment from months to hours. New, faster-acting, effective drugs which are easier to take, can reduce treatment times from six to four months for drug sensitive TB and from over 18 months down to four months for drug resistant TB. Shorter treatment regimens result in increased adherence and help prevent the development of further drug resistance. It has been estimated that a new, effective TB vaccine could reduce TB deaths by over 40% by 2029.

Private Education

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 523W, on private education, in which countries each year her Department provides financial support for private school fees; and what amount is spent in each country each year.

Lynne Featherstone: In Pakistan, in 2012-13 we provided £5 million to the Punjab Education Foundation to enable poor children to attend low cost private schools. In Sindh, we are piloting an innovative private sector fund, which in 2012-13 DFID provided £1,027,000 to two non-governmental organisations to support 17,687 poor children to attend low cost private schools.

Tanzania

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment her Department has made of the decision by the Tanzanian Government to establish a 1,500 square kilometre wildlife corridor and its effects on the Masai community.

Justine Greening: This is an issue that DFID and British high commission officials in Tanzania have been following very closely. The UK has encouraged all sides to seek a peaceful solution through dialogue with respect for legal and human rights and that any concessions let in the area are done so in full transparency.

CABINET OFFICE

Community Development

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's funding for community organisers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated for community organisers in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: An independent assessment of the programme is underway and the final report will be published in 2015.
	The Cabinet Office has allocated the following budget to the Community Organisers programme.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 104,478 
			 2011-12 4,209,572 
			 2012-13 5,465,463 
			 2013-14 7,632,054 
			 2014-15 6,141,210 
		
	
	In 2012 we committed an additional £7.5 million to the programme, which is included in the figures above. This will give all 500 senior community organisers the opportunity to sustain their work through a match funded £15,000 employment start-up grant.

Conditions of Employment: North East

Alison McGovern: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hours contracts in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in (a) Wirral, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West. 157347
	Estimates of the number of people on zero-hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey, but due to insufficient sample size are not available for Wirral, Merseyside or the North West.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics for UK regions & local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS), following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of the number of people employed on zero-hours contracts are not available from this source.

Employment: Clwyd

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what proportion of people in Clwyd South constituency were employed in the (a) private, (b) public and (c) third sector in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in Clwyd South constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of people in Clwyd South constituency were employed in (a) private, (b) public and (c) third sector in each of the last five years (156882); and how many people were employed in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work in Clwyd South constituency in each of the last five years (156890).
	Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates of people employed in the third sector are currently not available from APS. Individuals employed in voluntary organisations, charities and trusts are included in private sector estimates.
	Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts' definition and are not available for areas smaller than regions.
	Tables 1 and 2 show the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years, who were employed in the public or private sector along with those who were unemployed or inactive, resident in Clwyd South constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2011. It should also be noted that the estimates also include people who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors.
	Table 3 shows the number of people aged 16 and over resident in Clwyd South constituency who were in full-time or part-time employment, according to responses to the APS compiled from interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2011.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Percentage of people aged 16 to 64 years employed in the public and private sectors(1), resident in Clwyd South constituency 
			 Percentage 
			  Employed  
			 12 months ending: Public Private Unknown(2) Unemployed or Inactive 
			 December 2008 17.7 54.0 n/a 27.6 
			 December 2009 20.3 51.9 n/a 27.1 
			 December 2010 18.2 49.2 n/a 32.3 
			 December 2011 15.3 54.6 n/a 29.7 
			 December 2012 18.0 52.1 n/a 28.7 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) People who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors. Note: Components may not add to 100% due to rounding and suppression of unavailable estimates. Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of people aged 16 to 64 years employed in the public and private sectors(1), resident in Clwyd South constituency 
			 Thousand 
			  Employed  
			 12 months ending: Public Private Unknown(2) Unemployed or Inactive 
			 December 2008 8 24 n/a 12 
			 December 2009 9 22 n/a 12 
			 December 2010 8 22 n/a 15 
			 December 2011 **7 25 ***n/a 14 
			 December 2012(3) *9 *25 *n/a **14 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) People who were employed but have not provided enough information to be accurately included in either the public or private sectors. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of people aged 16 years and over in full-time or part-time employment(1), resident in Clwyd South constituency 
			 Thousand 
			  Employed 
			 12 months ending: Full-time Part-time 
			 December 2008 25 9 
			 December 2009 24 8 
			 December 2010 24 7 
			 December 2011 26 8 
			 December 2012(2) **26 ***10 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to full-time or part-time employment according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Government Departments: Marketing

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much each Government Department spent on advertising and marketing in each year between 2009 and 2013; and what assessment the Government have made of the effect of that spending.

Francis Maude: My Department's Efficiency and Reform group recently announced that they had helped Departments make savings of £378 million in 2012-13 from spend on proactive communications, including marketing and advertising, compared with a 2009-10 baseline. These savings are part of our wide-ranging approach aimed at driving out waste from Whitehall. Had this programme begun at the Administration of which the right hon. Member was a part millions of pounds more could have been saved.
	It is for Departments and arm's length bodies to monitor and report on the effectiveness of their spend on advertising and marketing. The Cabinet Office has issued best practice evaluation guidance and our Capability Review Programme is helping identify areas of strength and areas where improvement is needed within department communication functions.

Suicide

Diane Abbott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men under the age of 25 years committed suicide in (a) 2013 to date, (b) 2012 and (c) each of the preceding eight years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many men under the age of 25 years committed suicide in (a) 2013 to date, (b) 2012 and (c) each of the preceding eight years.
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, for males aged 15 to 24, in England and Wales, for deaths registered between 2004 and 2011 (the latest year available).
	ONS defines suicide as deaths from intentional self-harm (ICD-10 codes X60-X84) and deaths from 'injury or poisoning undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted' (Y10-Y34). It is likely that most of the latter deaths at ages 15 and over are cases where the harm was self-inflicted, but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. However, this cannot be assumed in children aged under 15 due to the possibility that these deaths were caused by unverifiable abuse, neglect or accidents. So the national statistics suicide definition only includes deaths of people aged 15 and over.
	Figures for suicides in the United Kingdom, England, Wales and regions of England are published annually on the ONS website and are available from 1981 onwards. The latest statistical bulletin also includes analysis of the impact of registration delays on UK suicide statistics:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-29400
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, for males aged 15 to 24, England and Wales, deaths registered between 2004 and 2011(1, 2, 3, 4) 
			 Registration year Suicides 
			 2004 366 
			 2005 340 
			 2006 311 
			 2007 323 
			 2008 364 
			 2009 339 
			 2010 324 
			 2011 355 
			 (1) Suicide is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 (Intentional self-harm) and Y10-Y34 (Events of undetermined intent), excluding Y33.9 where the coroner's verdict was pending for the year 2004-06. From 2007 onwards, deaths which were previously coded to Y33.9 are coded to U50.9 and automatically excluded from the suicide definition. (2) Figures are for males aged between 15 and 24 years of age. (3) Deaths of non-residents are included in figures for England and Wales. (4) Figures are for suicides registered, rather than suicides occurring between 2004 and 2011. Due to the length of time it takes to hold an inquest, it can take months for a suicide to be registered in England and Wales. Further information is available on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/suicides-in-the-united-kingdom/index.html

Unemployment: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which council ward has the highest rate of unemployment in each of the principal seaside towns in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for Cabinet Office what council ward is with the highest rate of unemployment in each of the principal seaside towns in (a) England, (b) Wales and (C) Scotland. (157704).
	Although not a standard ONS geography, the concept of principal seaside towns in Great Britain was covered in the report "The Seaside Economy", by Beatty and Fothergill (Sheffield Hallam University, June 2003 (updated June 2010)) and has been referred to in parliamentary debate and used for other parliamentary questions on a number of occasions since.
	Estimates of unemployment are not produced for council wards in the principal seaside towns of England, Scotland and Wales. Instead we have provided the number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the 2001 Census wards of the Local Authorities associated with each of these towns.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance resident in Census Wards, April 2013 
			 Principal seaside town Local authority 2001 census ward Number Rate (percentage)(1) 
			 Bognor Regis Arun River 171 5.8 
			 Blackpool Blackpool Bloomfield 735 15.0 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth Boscombe West 466 7.9 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove East Brighton 506 5.4 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury Heron 290 5.5 
			 Falmouth Cornwall Gannel 248 5.4 
			 Newquay Cornwall Gannel 248 5.4 
			 Penzance Cornwall Gannel 248 5.4 
			 St Ives Cornwall Gannel 248 5.4 
			 Deal Dover Castle 130 11.7 
			 Sid mouth East Devon Axminster Town 92 3.7 
			 Skegness East Lindsey Scarborough 310 9.1 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire Bridlington South 810 8.7 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne Devonshire 589 6.8 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Nelson 959 17.4 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings Central St Leonards 519 12.0 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Ryde North East 216 10.2 
			 Morecambe and Heysham Lancaster Poulton 359 7.0 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon Ilfracombe Central 138 5.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset Weston-super-Mare Central 361 8.4 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside Riverside 744 10.3 
			 Swanage Purbeck Lytchett Minster and Upton East 55 2.1 
			   Swanage South 71 2.1 
			 Scarborough Scarborough Castle 346 11.1 
			 Whitby Scarborough Castle 346 11.1 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor Bridgwater Hamp 274 6.4 
			 Southport Sefton Linacre 974 12.8 
			 Folkstone/Hythe Shepway Folkestone Harvey Central 407 12.5 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea Kursaal 697 10.5 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge Ashburton and Buckfastleigh 152 3.1 
			   Buckland and Milber 133 3.1 
			   Bushell 135 3.1 
			 Exmouth Teignbridge Ashburton and Buckfastleigh 152 3.1 
			   Buckland and Milber 133 3.1 
			   Bushell 135 3.1 
			 Clacton Tendring Pier 338 11.1 
			 Thanet Thanet Cliftonville West 1,019 20.2 
			 Torbay Torbay Tormohun 715 8.8 
			 Lowestoft Waveney Harbour 619 10.4 
			 Minehead West Somerset Minehead North 67 3.3 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland Melcombe Regis 218 5.5 
			 Worthing Worthing Penwerris 178 4.6 
			 Porthcawl Bridgend Morfa 220 8.4 
			 Llandudno/Colwyn Bay/Conwy Conwy Glyn 289 11.5 
			 Rhyl/Prestatyn Denbighshire Rhyl West 519 17.9 
			 Barry The Vale of Glamorgan Castleland 238 8.1 
			 Dunoon Argyll and Bute Ardenslate 138 10.1 
			 Greater Ayr South Ayrshire Ayr Lochside 316 13.0 
			 (1) Population denominator used to calculate percentages is based on 2001 Census population estimates of people aged 16 to 64 for wards in England and Wales and mid-year 2010 population estimates of people aged 16 to 64 for wards in Scotland.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan and Iraq

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of British forces fatalities in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq since 2002 enlisted in the armed forces as junior entry recruits.

Mark Francois: Between 1 April 2007 and 2 June 2013, 392 UK armed forces personnel died as a result of operations in Afghanistan. Of these, 45 or 11 % were under 18 years of age at the time of joining the armed forces.
	Between 1 April 2007 and 22 May 2011 (the cessation of operations in Iraq), 45 UK armed forces personnel died as a result of operations in Iraq. Of these, two or 4% were under 18 years of age at the time of joining the armed forces.
	The information requested is not readily available for the period before 1 April 2007. The figures quoted above are for tri-Service regular and reservist personnel, and are for all causes of death; hostile action, accidents, natural causes, assaults, coroner confirmed suicides or open verdicts and cause not yet known.

Armed Forces: Coroners

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British forces personnel killed on operations died within (a) one month, (b) two months and (c) six months of turning 18 years of age.

Andrew Murrison: The death of any member of the armed forces, regardless of their age, is tragic. Between 7 October 2001 (the start of operations in Afghanistan) and 2 June 2013, 622 UK armed forces personnel have died as a result of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. The following table provides a breakdown of the time that had elapsed from their 18th birthday to the date of their death.
	
		
			 Time since turning 18 years old Number of deaths Cause of death 
			 Within one month 1 Operational accident 
			 Within two months 2 1 Operational accident 
			   1 Hostile action 
			 Within six months 5 Hostile action 
			 Note: Figures are for tri-service regular and reservist personnel.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the use of cybernetic technologies in the rehabilitation process for wounded service personnel.

Mark Francois: The term cybernetics is generally defined as the science of communication and control in animal and machine, which could refer to a variety of different issues. As such, the Ministry of Defence does not have a specific policy relating to cybernetic technologies, although cybernetics is applied in a number of areas relating to the rehabilitation of wounded service personnel. This includes artificial intelligence systems used in decision making and predicting injury rates in recruits, human interface with external systems, biofeedback systems, the use of microprocessors to control systems such as prosthetic limbs and telemetry in supporting equipment applied to patients.
	The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court continually examines new technology for its application to our patients.

Armed Forces: Offences Against Children

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answers of 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1128W and 10 April 2013, Official Report, column 1129W, on armed forces: sexual offences, how many allegations made (a) by and (b) against service personnel were referred to local authorities for investigation under child protection legislation; which local authorities were notified; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), who has responsibility for defence personnel, welfare and veterans, will write to the hon. Member shortly.
	Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Madeleine Moon:
	In his response to your Parliamentary Question of 20 May (Official Report, column 490w) the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan) promised that I would write to you.
	When you received the original response, officials were examining the question to see if the information was held and retrievable. It is now apparent that the information that you have requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Any direct engagement with local authorities would normally be recorded in an investigation case file diary. These documents would have to be retrieved and examined manually. However, for the reasons described below, they may not contain the information you seek.
	Policies in place, for both the UK and overseas, give direction and guidance to the Service Police and the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) in cases of this sensitive nature. The provisions of section 46 of the Children Act 1989 (police protection) and sections 11 and 28 of the Children Act 2004 (safeguarding and promoting welfare in England and Wales) do not apply, as a matter of law, to the Service Police. However Service Police investigative doctrine follows the spirit of the legislation, and makes it clear that when a child is identified as being at risk, the appropriate authorities should be informed.
	In Germany and elsewhere overseas, Service Police investigators are able to draw on the expertise of the Joint Response Team (JRT) if required. The JRT is a specialist Royal Military Police capability for investigating offences involving children and vulnerable witnesses and it works hand-in-hand with Social Services and other organisations to ensure a multi-agency level of support afforded to victims and their families. In the UK, local authorities are informed via Home Office Police Forces (HOPF), which have direct and routine access to Local Safeguarding Children Boards. This type of engagement takes place as a matter of routine and is referred to in Home Office Circular 028/2008 (a protocol set up in 2008 between the HOPF and the MDP & Service Police). In practice, this means that the more serious the offence, the greater the likelihood is that jurisdiction will be retained by the civilian force.
	The MDP are unable to establish from their crime recording system whether the offences that they have recorded had been referred to the Child Protection Units of HOPF. However, in accordance with Home Office Circular 028/2008 - where a child is a victim of abuse of any kind, this would be reported to the local HOPF for referral to their Child Protection Unit, again effectively handing the case across to the HOPF.
	I am confident that this policy is applied diligently by our police forces.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to ensure that armed forces recruitment accords with Article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by giving priority to potential adult recruits over those who are not yet 18 years of age.

Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois), who has responsbility for defence personnel, welfare and veterans, on 13 May 2013, Official Report, column 98W, to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Cathy Jamieson).

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the minimum recruitment age for the Territorial Army and the regular forces will be equalised as part of the Army 2020 reform of personnel structures.

Andrew Murrison: There are currently no plans to align the minimum age of entry for Territorial and Regular Army personnel.
	The minimum age of entry is 16 years for regular soldiers and 18 years for Territorial Army soldiers. Due to the nature of Territorial Army (TA) service, it is difficult to provide the same level of protection to young TA soldiers as is the case for regular soldiers under the age of 18. The minimum age of entry for the TA is therefore higher.

Armed Forces: Training

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits to the Army are expected to undertake phase one training at AFC Harrogate in 2013-14.

Mark Francois: 1,440 new entrants are planned to undertake Phase 1 training at the Army Foundation College, Harrogate in recruiting year 2013-14.

Army: Recruitment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are for the Army recruitment campaign being run by Capita; and what target age range has been set for recruitment advertisements.

Andrew Murrison: The Army's new 'Step Up' recruitment campaign, which is being run in conjunction with Capita, commenced on 20 May 2013 and will run for six weeks.
	The aim of the recruitment campaign is to attract approximately 10,000 potential recruits, with a primary focus on regular infantry soldiers. The core target audience for the 'Step Up' campaign is men and women between the ages of 16-24. The campaign asks them to 'Step up' and consider a career in the Army.

Defence: Procurement

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to promote social enterprise within the defence supply chain.

Philip Dunne: It is both EU procurement law and Ministry of Defence commercial policy that we treat all our suppliers, including social enterprises, in a fair and impartial manner. We do, however, have policy and contract terms in place, which encourage contractors to consider supported enterprises (where at least 50% of the work force is disabled) for their supply chain.

Insolvency

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 25 April 2013, Official Report, columns 1269-70W, on insolvency, for what reasons Proweld Engineering Services Limited was not included in that list.

Philip Dunne: Proweld Engineering Solutions Ltd was not on the original list because although there is a contract between the company and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the contract is solely used by United States Visiting Forces (USVF) and is entirely funded by the United States Government.
	At the time of your original parliamentary question I was not aware of any claim against the liquidators of Proweld Engineering Solutions Ltd. It now appears that there will be a Claim in Default against contract DEUSFSTM/13448 totalling £77,705.85 which has been lodged with the liquidator, Begbies Traynor, in the hope of recovery or reduction of the debt through dividend payments from the liquidation.
	In order to provide transparency and a robust audit trail, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, who nominally own the contract, intend to comply with the usual write-off process under Joint Service Publication 462. However the loss will not be added to any MOD Loss Register and Defence Business Services Finance will not contact HM Revenue and Customs to investigate the possibility of recovering the debt through Crown Set-Off, as the debt lies with the United States Government.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many F-35B Lightning 11 aircraft his Department ordered in the first batch for delivery.

Philip Dunne: Aircraft within the F-35 programme are ordered annually. To date, the Ministry of Defence has procured three aircraft spread over two annual contracts. We intend to order the fourth F-35B aircraft in the next annual production contract later this year.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total projected fleet size is for the F-35B Lightning II aircraft; when those aircraft are expected to enter service; and what the estimated unit cost is for the whole fleet.

Philip Dunne: The final fleet size for the F-35B will not be determined before the next Strategic Defence and Security Review at the earliest.
	The F-35B is expected to enter service with an initial operating capability from land in 2016, and an initial operating capability from sea in 2018.
	Unit costs for the whole F-35 fleet cannot be estimated until the total fleet size is determined.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects F-35B Lightning II aircraft to take part in the carrier sea trials in 2017.

Philip Dunne: F-35B trials from the Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier are scheduled to take place in 2018. This follows the first F-35B Squadron undergoing training in the US from 2016.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Mark Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 2 June 2013, Official Report, column 994W, to the right hon. Member for Gordon (Sir Malcolm Bruce).

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not set a specific budget for ministerial travel. All Defence Ministers must travel in the most cost-effective way possible; for example, they do not travel first class by air.
	The Defence Ministers do not use the Government Car Service. For security reasons, the Metropolitan Police Service provide a car for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence. The Junior Defence Ministers share a central car pool with other senior departmental staff working in the Ministry of Defence main building.

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to his Department was of staffing and administration of activities supporting the aviation industry in each year of the current Parliament.

Simon Burns: Aviation directorate staffing costs for the current Parliament are:
	(a) 2011-12 cost £3.518 million
	(b) 2012-13 cost £3.483 million

Aviation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his proposed budget for staffing and administration of activities supporting the aviation industry is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The information is as follows:
	Budgets
	(a) 2013-14 £3.090 million
	(b) 2014-15 £3.162 million
	(c) Budgets for 2015-16 are subject to the 2013 spending round which is currently under way; it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of these discussions.

British Transport Police

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the budget of the British Transport Police in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The budget for the British Transport Police is set by the British Transport Police Authority. The core budgets for the three years, as set out in the authority's medium term financial plan, are:
	(a) £202.4 million,
	(b) £207.6 million, and
	(c) £214.7 million.

British Transport Police

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the cost of the British Transport police has been in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much the private transport sector including (a) rail companies and (b) bus companies contributed to the costs of the British Transport police in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The costs of policing the national railway network, including the London Underground network are as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Total cost(1) Contribution from rail companies(2) 
			 2003-04 132.9 132.6 
			 2004-05 172.5 170.8 
			 2005-06 199.4 197.4 
			 2006-07 223.3 220.4 
			 2007-08 236.7 231.2 
			 2008-09 244.8 237.6 
			 2009-10 253.0 246.8 
			 2010-11 252.2 247.0 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 249.1 243.8 
			 2012-13 250.7 245.3 
			 (1) Figures exclude additional funding for one-off events such as the Olympics and policing the riots in 2011, and the cost of providing enhanced police services on request. (2) Figures exclude the costs of enhanced police services. 
		
	
	The British Transport police do not provide policing of bus services.

Bus Service Operators Grant

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on administration of the Bus Service Operator's Grant in each year of the current Parliament;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure on (a) staffing and (b) administering the Bus Service Operator's Grant in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the likely expenditure on (a) staffing and (b) administering the Better Bus Area Fund in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16;
	(4)  how many staff of his Department work on the administration of the Bus Service Operator's Grant;
	(5)  how many staff of his Department work on the administration of the Better Bus Area Fund.

Norman Baker: Currently one employee of the Department works full time on the administration of the Better Bus Area (BBA) fund, details of which were published in February 2013. Beyond that, the BBA fund is administered as part of the Bus Service Operator's Grant scheme (BSOG). The overall cost to the Department of administering the BBA scheme in 2013/14 will depend upon the number of bids we receive from local authorities to become BBAs, the deadline for submission of which is 21 June 2013. At this stage, we do not expect there to be significant further expenditure on administering the BBA scheme in 2014/15 or 2015/16.
	Currently 10 members of the Department's staff work on the administration of BSOG, of which 3 work part-time.
	Administration costs for future years are expected to be broadly similar to those for 2012/13, but will depend upon final decisions on reforming the BSOG regime. An announcement on the reforms will be made in the near future. Expenditure on administering BSOG from 2010/11 to 2012/13 was as follows:
	
		
			  Expenditure (£000—cash prices) 
			 2010-11 310 
			 2011-12 240 
			 2012-13 250 
			 Notes: 1. Figures represent the staffing costs of administering BSOG and are rounded to the nearest £10,000. 2. The figure for 2010-11 includes the cost of employing two inspectors, whose role was to visit and check the validity of bus operators' BSOG claims. From 2011-12 onwards this work was taken over by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency at an annual cost of £100,000 as part of an increased emphasis on enforcement, and is excluded from the figures in the above table.

Civil Aviation Authority

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the Government will be required to contribute financially towards the running costs of the Civil Aviation Authority in any year of the current Parliament.

Simon Burns: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) obtains the funding it requires to cover its running costs from the fees and charges which it levies on the aviation industry for the range of services which it provides. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is currently undertaking a classification review of the CAA, which will report soon. The review is focused on whether the CAA's charges should properly be regarded as taxes. Should the ONS find that some or all of the CAA's charges should be reclassified as taxes and that, as a result, the greater part of the CAA's income is derived from taxation, the CAA itself would be reclassified as part of central Government for accounting purposes. We would not however expect the outcome of this review to affect the charging structure which CAA has in place.
	The Department will continue to make payments to the CAA for specific projects which it has asked them to undertake as agreed under section 16 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982.

Directly Operated Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated expenditure of Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries on headquarters and other office costs is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: Directly Operated Railways (DOR) currently share their office accommodation with another subsidiary company of the Department who in turn lease their space from another part of the Crown Estate. It is expected that DOR's share of the rent and rates for the space that they occupy will be in the order of £90,000 per annum.
	Separate figures are not available for their operating subsidiary—The East Coast Main Line Company Ltd as their office estate is spread across the operational business.
	Historic costs and revenues associated with the DOR group of companies is published annually in their report and accounts which is available at
	www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk

Directly Operated Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the estimated expenditure of Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries on administration is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16;
	(2)  what budget he has allocated to Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: Directly Operated Railways Ltd (DOR) has estimated that the costs associated with their core activities for 2013-14 will be in the order of £1 million. These costs will be met through a management charge to their subsidiary company (The East Coast Main Line Company Ltd) and utilisation of a loan facility from the Department. No separate figures are available for administration or for future years. Additional costs may be incurred by DOR in connection with their work for the Department in supporting the rail franchising programme. Figures are not available but these costs will be met by the Department under specific and separate contractual arrangements with the company.
	Costs and budgets for DOR's operating subsidiary are not available as they are commercially sensitive. Historic figures for the DOR group are published annually in their report and accounts which is available at:
	www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk

Directly Operated Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many members of staff at Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries are paid over £100,000 per annum;
	(2)  how many members of staff are employed at Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries, by salary bands of £10,000.

Simon Burns: The information requested on number of employees and salary bands for the Directly Operated Railways and its subsidiaries which include the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd is set out in the table:
	
		
			 Basic salary bands of £10,000 Employee numbers 
			 £10,000 to £20,000 836 
			 £20,000 to £29,999 1,320 
			 £30,000 to £39,999 345 
			 £40,000 to £49,999 81 
			 £50,000 to £59,999 374 
			 £60,000 to £69,999 14 
			 £70,000 to £79,999 13 
			 £80,000 to £89,999 3 
			 £90,000 to £99,999 1 
			 £100,000 + 11 
			 Grand total 2,998

Directly Operated Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much has been spent by Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries in each year of the current parliament to date;
	(2)  how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date;
	(3)  how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on administration in each year of its operation to date;
	(4)  how much Directly Operated Railways Ltd and its subsidiaries has spent on staffing in each year of its operation to date.

Simon Burns: Details of income and expenditure associated with the activities of the company are published in their annual report and accounts. These are available at:
	www.directlyoperatedrailways.co.uk

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what income was received by the public purse from the application fees for new driving licences in each year of the current Parliament;
	(2)  what revenue has accrued to the public purse from the renewal and replacement of driving licences in each year of the current Parliament.

Stephen Hammond: It is not possible to split the income from all the drivers’ fees into different categories. The total drivers income received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for the last three financial years was:
	
		
			 Financial year £ million 
			 2010-11 127 
			 2011-12 131 
			 2012-13 127 
		
	
	The figures for 2012-13 are subject to year-end audit.

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely level of revenue from application fees for new driving licences in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: Based upon current volumes and applying existing fees, the total income from driver licensing transactions is expected to be in the region of £125 million to £130 million for each of the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. This total estimates £50 million for first applications for driving licences, £50 million for driving licence renewals and £20 million for duplicate driving licences. A number of other minor driver transactions make up the balance.

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Government plans to increase the application fee for a new driving licence;
	(2)  whether the Government plans to increase the application fee for a renewal or replacement of a driving license.

Stephen Hammond: There are no current plans to increase fees for driving licences. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency reviews fees regularly, taking into account transaction volumes and anticipated efficiency gains.

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the fee was for an application for (a) renewal and (b) replacement of a driving licence in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the fees for all driving licences since 2001
	
		
			 £ 
			  From 
			 Licence type 15 November 2001 1 March 2004 1 May 2007 1 April 2008 6 April 2009 
			 First Provisional:      
			 Car 29.00 38.00 45.00 50.00 50.00 
			 Bus or lorry 29.00 free free free free 
			 First Full:      
			 Car or motorcycle 12.00 (2)9.00 free free free 
			 Bus or lorry 12.00 free free free free 
			 After revocation — free free free free 
			 After disqual till test pass — free free free free 
			 Renewal:      
			 From age 70 6.00 free free free free 
			 For medical reasons free free free free free 
			 Bus or lorry 29.00 free free free free 
			 After disqualification 35.00 50.00 60.00 65.00 65.00 
			 After drink drive disqual (HRO) 50.00 75.00 85.00 90.00 90.00 
			 Duplicate:      
			 Lost or stolen 17.00 19.00 22.00 17.50 20.00 
			 After revocation — 38.00 45.00 50.00 50.00 
			 Exchange:      
			 Add or remove entitlement 18.00 free free free free 
			 Remove expired endorsements 18.00 19.00 22.00 17.50 20.00 
			 Remove expired 25kw motorcycle restriction — (1)19.00 22.00 17.50 20.00 
			 Paper licence for photocard 18.00 19.00 10.00 17.50 20.00 
			 Full Northern Ireland licence 18.00 free free free free 
			 First full EC/EEA or other foreign licence 29.00 38.00 45.00 50.00 50.00 
			 Full valid EC/EEA or other non GB licence (inc Channel Islands and Isle of Man) if previous full GB licence held — — free free free 
			 Replacement:      
			 Change of name/address (existing licence surrendered) free free free free free 
		
	
	
		
			 Change of name/address (existing licence lost/stolen) 17.00 19.00 22.00 17.50 20.00 
			 Vanity/renewal of photo on licence — — free (2)17.50 20.00 
			 (1) Since February 2006 (2) If First provisional before 1 March 2004—£9.00 If First provisional after 1 March 2004—Free From 16 May 2008.

Driving: Licensing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of likely revenue to the public purse from renewal and replacement of driving licences in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: Based upon current volumes and applying existing fees, the total income from driver licensing transactions is expected to be in the region of £125 million to £130 million for each of the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. While it is not possible to split renewals and replacements this total estimates £50 million for first applications for driving licences, £50 million for driving licence renewals and £20 million for duplicate driving licences. A number of other minor driver transactions make up the balance.

East Coast Railway Line

Andrew McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost has been to Directly Operated Railways of the process of preparing the East Coast rail franchise for privatisation.

Simon Burns: Directly Operated Railways are supporting and assisting the Department in preparing the East Coast business for a return to the private sector as part of their normal day to day operations. The stabilisation and growth of the business that DOR have managed since 2009 has always been focused on returning East Coast to the private sector. As such, it is not possible to separately identify specific additional costs associated with re-franchising.

Fares: North West

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the change in price in (a) rail fares and (b) bus fares in (i) Wirral, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West in the last three years for which information is available.

Norman Baker: Rail and bus fare data are not available at the level of disaggregation requested.
	For rail fares, the Office of Rail Regulation ('ORR') publishes an index showing the average change in price of all rail fares from 2004.
	This table can be found on ORR's website at:
	http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/html/html/7cff3127-a5cc-4173-ac78-016db2339811
	The Department for Transport also publishes an annual index of local bus fares from 1995 onwards.
	This table can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/35990/bus0405.xls

Government Car Service

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the budget for the Government Car Service in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Stephen Hammond: The agreed budget for the Government Car Service is as follows:
	(a) 2013-14: £1,714,580
	(b) 2014-15: £1,552,065
	The above includes the cost of the estate to the amounts of:
	(a) 2013-14: £1,091,580
	(b) 2014-15: £1,105,065.
	The Department does not yet have an agreed budget position for 2015-16 as it is currently considering the evidence base for all spending.
	The Chancellor will announce the outcome of the spending review on 26 June.

Great Western Railway Line

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the electrification project of the Great Western Mainline.

Simon Burns: Electrification of the Great Western Main Line will deliver cleaner, greener and faster trains between London, Oxford, Newbury, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea by 2018. The most recent benefit cost ratio of 2 is for electrification and the new Inter City Express trains.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the study of the potential capacity benefits for the existing rail network from the creation of HS2.

Simon Burns: Network Rail is carrying out a study to advise the Government on options for the future use of the existing rail network after Phase Two of High Speed 2 has been constructed and is operational. The terms of reference for this study are outlined at Annex D of the January 2013 Command Paper, which set out the Government's initial preferences for Phase Two of HS2. The results of this study are intended to be published alongside the public consultation on HS2 Phase Two later this year. This work follows on from the study published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus in January 2012 in relation to released capacity from HS2 Phase One and will include consultation with local, regional and industry stakeholders.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff at High Speed 2 Ltd are paid over £100,000 per annum.

Simon Burns: As of 30 April 2013, there are four employees of HS2 Ltd whose pay falls into a salary band over £100,000.
	There are a further five employees of HS2 Ltd whose pay exceeds £100,000 if their allowance in lieu of benefits is included.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what High Speed 2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for administration is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's estimated administration budget for 2013-14 is £5.9 million and for 2014-15 is £6.4 million.
	The administration budget for 2015-16 is being determined in the current spending round.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what High Speed 2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs is in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's estimated expenditure for headquarters and other office costs for the years specified are as follows:
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
			 2013-14 4,865,683 
			 2014-15 5,815,817 
			 2015-16 7,510,646

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what budget he has allocated to High Speed 2 Ltd for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Simon Burns: The total budget allocated to HS2 Ltd for 2013-14 is £247.6 million and for 2014-15 is £270.1 million. The budget for 2015-16 is yet to be determined.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff are employed at HS2 Ltd, by salary bands of £10,000.

Simon Burns: The number of staff employed by HS2 Ltd on salary bands of £10,000 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Salary band Number of staff(1) 
			 £0 to £10,000 2 
			 £10,001 to £20,000 4 
			 £20,001 to £30,000 55 
			 £30,001 to £40,000 63 
			 £40,001 to £50,000 38 
		
	
	
		
			 £50,001 to £60,000 21 
			 £60,001 to £70,000 10 
			 £70,001 to £80,000 4 
			 £80,001 to £90,000 4 
			 £90,001 to £100,000 1 
			 £100,001 to £110,000 1 
			 £110,001 to £120,000 1 
			 £120,001 to £130,000 0 
			 £130,001 to £140,000 0 
			 £140,001 to £150,000 0 
			 £150,001 to £160,000 0 
			 £160,001 to £170,000 1 
			 £170,001 to £180,000 1 
			 (1) Effective as of 30 April 2013

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by HS2 Ltd in each year of the current Parliament to date.

Simon Burns: The actual spend by HS2 Ltd in the years specified is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2009-10 9.4 
			 2010-11 14.7 
			 2011-12 34.3 
			 2012-13 186.2

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's actual spend on headquarters and other office costs in each year of its operation to date are as follows:
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
			 2009-10 85,256 
			 2010-11 162,064 
			 2011-12 201,226 
			 2012-13 2,447,607

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on administration in each year of its operation to date.

Simon Burns: Until 2011-12, the administration budget for HS2 Ltd was part of the Department's wider rail administration budget. It is not possible to separately identify HS2 Ltd's administration costs for this period. The administration spend for 2011 -12 and 2012-13 is set out in the table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2009-10 — 
			 2010-11 — 
			 2011-12 1.9 
			 2012-13 5.7

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much High Speed 2 Ltd has spent on staffing in each year of its operation to date.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd's spend on staffing in each year of its operation to date are as follows:
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
			 2009-10 2,771,290 
			 2010-11 3,476,816 
			 2011-12 6,605,373 
			 2012-13 14,837,850

Mobility Scooters: Accidents

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving mobility scooters occurred in each police force area in the first quarter of 2013.

Norman Baker: The most recent review of the collection of road casualty statistics (STATS19) added a requirement for police forces to record whether a mobility vehicle had been involved in an accident on the public highway. Individual police forces are able to choose when to implement the review requirements. This allows them to modify their procedures and data systems in the most cost-effective way. As the system updates have not been completed across all forces, data on the involvement of mobility vehicles in accidents are not available yet. I expect more comprehensive data to become available once all police forces have implemented the changes.

Light Dues

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what income was received from light dues in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what the level of light dues was in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Hammond: The following table gives the light dues receipts collected in the UK and Republic of Ireland and paid in to the General Lighthouse Fund in each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			 Financial year Light dues receipts (£ million) 
			 2012-13 (1)89 
			 2011-12 91 
			 2010-11 87 
			 2009-10 76 
			 2008-09 70 
			 2007-08 67 
			 2006-07 70 
			 2005-06 75 
			 2004-05 71 
			 2003-04 75 
			 (1) Estimated.  
		
	
	The following table sets out the level of light dues charged in the UK since 2003-04. In 2012-13 light dues levels were 35% lower in real terms than they were in 2003-04.
	
		
			 Light dues levels between 2003-04 and 2012-13 
			 Financial year Pence per net registered ton 
			 2012-13 41 
			 2011-12 41 
			 2010-11 41 
			 2009-10(1) 39 
			 2009-10(2) 35 
			 2008-09 35 
			 2007-08 35 
			 2006-07 35 
			 2005-06 39 
			 2004-05 39 
			 2003-04 40 
			 (1) Between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010. (2) Between 1 April 2009 and 30 June 2009. 
		
	
	The Republic of Ireland charges its light dues in Euros at a broadly equivalent rate to those of the UK.

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total value is of the contract extension to September 2014 agreed between his Department and c2c Rail Ltd for rail passenger services on the Essex Thameside line. [Official Report, 25 June 2013, Vol. 565, c. 4MC.]

Simon Burns: Contracted subsidy for the interim franchise agreement is c.£2.4 million. A profit share mechanism is in place, which will capture any outperformance in revenue, thereby lowering subsidy requirement. Subsidy and premium payments are published regularly on the Office of Rail Regulation website.

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total public subsidy paid to c2c Rail Ltd for the Essex Thameside passenger rail franchise was in each year of the current contract to date.

Norman Baker: The premium/subsidy data between 1996/97 and 2005/06 is based on the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) publication of Franchise Net Payments. The data for 2006/07 and 2007/08 has been extracted from the Train Operating Companies (TOC) management accounts, and has not been verified. The 2008/09 to 2011/12 data is based on the record of payments by the Department.
	
		
			 Financial Year (Premium)/subsidy (£ million) 
			 1996/97 25.4 
			 1997/98 27.7 
			 1998/99 26.2 
			 1999/00 24.9 
			 2000/01 24.0 
			 2001/02 14.4 
			 2002/03 21.8 
			 2003/04 20.7 
			 2004/05 6.7 
			 2005/06 2.9 
			 2006/07 19.0 
			 2007/08 17.6 
			 2008/09 0.9 
			 2009/10 (3.3) 
		
	
	
		
			 2010/11 (7.7) 
			 2011/12 (12.1) 
			 Notes: 1. Brackets indicate a premium. 2. Unbracketed numbers indicate a subsidy. 3. All figures have been rounded.

M6: Heysham

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the M6 Heysham Link; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure maximum economic benefit from the M6 Heysham Link.

Simon Burns: On 19 March 2013 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made an order under the Planning Act 2008 granting Lancashire County Council development consent for completion of the M6 to Heysham Link Road. On 29 April, ‘Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe’ applied to the High Court for permission to proceed with a claim for judicial review and asked the Court to quash the order on the grounds that the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully. The Secretary of State is defending the claim.
	If the High Court upholds the decision to make the order, it would then be for the County Council, as promoter of the scheme, in conjunction with the relevant district councils and local business groups, to secure maximum economic benefit from its construction and operation.

Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the recent financial management of Merseyside Passenger Authority.

Norman Baker: The conduct and operation of Merseytravel is, primarily, a matter for its Integrated Transport Authority members and the five sponsoring local authorities on Merseyside. I understand that there are investigations underway into some investment decisions taken by Merseytravel and that the District Auditor is fully involved. The results of these will be included in the Authority's Annual Governance Statement, which is due to be published in September.

Midland Main Railway Line

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the electrification project of the Midland Mainline between Sheffield and Bedford.

Simon Burns: The Government have committed to funding electrification of the Midland Main Line which will deliver cleaner, greener and faster trains between London, Corby, Nottingham and Sheffield. Electrification of this route has a sufficiently strong case that there is no net cost to Government. It will boost economic growth, improve connectivity and reduce the cost of running the railway to the Department. Where a scheme leads to a saving to Government overtime, the BCR is a potentially misleading indicator, and the Department does not use them in these circumstances. Instead such a scheme is described as 'financially positive' and would usually be expected to represent 'high' value for money.

Mossley Station

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include reconstruction of Mossley railway station, to make it compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in Control Period 5, 2014 to 2019.

Norman Baker: I will be working with the industry over the next year to identify stations for inclusion in the Access for All programme in Control Period 5. To ensure value for money, stations will be selected based on annual footfall, weighted by the incidence of disability in the area and taking into account the views of the train operators and local authorities. The availability of any match funding for a project will also be taken into account.
	Whilst I cannot guarantee that Mossley railway station will be included in the programme it will be considered along with other currently inaccessible stations across the country.

Oxford-Hereford Railway Line

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for the dual track project on the North Cotswold rail line.

Simon Burns: The Department is currently working with Network Rail to update the benefit cost ratio for doubling the North Cotswold line to take account of possible line speed improvements and changes to service patterns.

Railways: Franchises

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to begin negotiations with Transpennine and Northern Rail on their direct award contracts.

Simon Burns: The Northern franchise terminates at 2 am on 1 April 2014 and preliminary discussions with Northern Rail are under way. The TransPennine franchise does not terminate until 2 am on 1 April 2015 and preliminary discussions with First TransPennine Express are expected to commence later this year.

Railways: West Midlands

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for electrification of the rail line between Rugeley and Walsall in the West Midlands.

Simon Burns: The cost benefit ratio for Rugeley-Walsall is still being developed as the value and use of the route is affected by the timing and nature of wider strategic network changes.

Railways: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the benefit-cost ratio was in the business case for electrification of the rail line between Micklefield and Selby in Yorkshire.

Simon Burns: The business case for electrification between Micklefield and Selby is included within the wider case for North Trans Pennine electrification which currently demonstrates a benefit cost ratio of 1.92.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the UK sustainable biodiesel industry on the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation;
	(2)  in what ways his Department plans to engage with the UK biodiesel and renewable fuels industry as part of the review into the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation;
	(3)  what the timetable is for his Department's review into the effects of double-counting under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

Norman Baker: Officials are in regular contact with UK suppliers of biodiesel, including through stakeholder workshops run by the Department's RTFO Unit which administers the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).
	We amended the RTFO in December 2011 to provide extra support to waste-derived biofuels through the award of two Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) per litre of waste-derived biofuel.
	Later this year we will assess the available data and other evidence regarding the impact of these, and other changes made to the RTFO, in a post implementation review.
	As part of that exercise we will shortly be asking suppliers for input to inform the review, including on the effects of double counting. We expect to publish a draft version of the review in the autumn.

Shipping: Conditions of Employment

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the time taken to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention on the reputation of the Scottish and UK maritime industry abroad.

Stephen Hammond: The UK intends to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 by 20 August 2013, when the convention comes into force internationally.
	The potential impacts of UK ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, or of non-ratification, are discussed in the impact assessments produced at public consultation on each of the implementing statutory instruments, copies of which are available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk/mca
	and will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament when the regulations are laid.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the electoral registration rate is in each of the 100 (a) most deprived wards and (b) least deprived wards in England.

Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics advises that it does not have the information available to identify the 100 most and 100 least deprived areas at ward level in the UK.

Electoral Register: Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many successful prosecutions for electoral registration fraud there were in each region in each of the last four years.

Chloe Smith: The Government do not collect or hold these data, but these statistics can be found in the Electoral Commission's Report ‘Analysis of cases of alleged electoral fraud' at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/155336/Analysis-of-cases-of-alleged-electoral-fraud-in-2012.pdf

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how child maintenance arrears will be collected by the statutory collection service.

Steve Webb: The Child Maintenance Service will, over the longer term, be responsible for collecting arrears of child maintenance that have accumulated on 1993 and 2003 child maintenance scheme cases, once these have closed to new applicants, as well as collecting ongoing maintenance and any new arrears that arise on the 2012 scheme.
	We will continue to use the full range of collection powers available and will continue to monitor compliance rates, and if there are additional powers that could be deployed to ensure effective prevention, management and collection of arrears, we shall seek Parliament's approval to bring them into effect.
	Furthermore, once charging is introduced for 2012 scheme cases, if a paying parent fails to make their maintenance payments in full and on time, and if, therefore, any enforcement measures are required to collect arrears they accrue, this will mean that that parent will also be required to pay enforcement charges in addition to their maintenance liability and any collection charges to which they are subject.
	Details of our strategy for addressing child maintenance arrears were published on 31 January in ‘Preparing for the future, tackling the past: Child Maintenance – Arrears and Compliance Strategy 2012-17’, available on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/cm-arrears-and-compliance-strategy-2012-2017.pdf

Child Maintenance

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much is owed to parents in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Cannock Chase constituency in unpaid Child Support Agency claims.

Steve Webb: The following table shows, as of March 2013, how much is owed in arrears to parents in Staffordshire and Cannock Chase constituency.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Area Total arrears owed to Secretary of State or parent/person with care Of which, arrears owed to parent/person with care 
			 Staffordshire 82,141,000 53,294,000 
			 Cannock Chase constituency 8,920,000 5,904,000 
			 Notes: 1. Staffordshire has been calculated by adding up the totals for Cannock Chase East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth local authorities. 2. Figures sourced from Agency's internal debt book, The Agency debt book over reports debt by approximately 4%. 3. Outstanding debt value allocated to a parliamentary constituency or local authority by matching the parent with care's residential postcode to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. 4. Figures rounded to nearest £1,000 5. Figures exclude cases managed off system.

Employment Schemes

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long (a) Working Links and (b) Igneus have held contracts with his Department.

Mark Hoban: Working Links have held contracts with the Department since April 2000 and Ingeus since 2002.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people in Glasgow Central constituency have taken part in mandatory work activity in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: Mandatory work activity is only available to jobseeker's allowance claimants. Rounded to the nearest 10, there were 20 disabled people in Glasgow Central constituency who started mandatory work activity between March 2012 and February 2013.
	Source
	Mandatory Programmes Official Statistics—May 2013

Food Banks

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many benefit claimants were referred by jobcentres to food banks in (a) greater London and (b) the UK from (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13;
	(2)  how many benefits claimants have requested referral to food banks through Jobcentre Plus more than three times in (a) Greater London and (b) the UK in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 to date.

Mark Hoban: DWP does not collate or hold numbers of the referrals to food banks.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the minimum floor space is that can constitute a bedroom for the purposes of the under-occupancy charge;
	(2)  whether a minimum floor space applies to a bedroom for the purposes of the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The removal of the spare room subsidy does not apply a minimum floor space for bedrooms. It takes account of the number of bedrooms, as designated by the landlord, and compares this with the composition of the household to establish whether or not a reduction due to under-occupation applies.

Jobcentre Plus: Walthamstow

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the internal staff memorandum dated 20 February 2013 from the Walthamstow Jobcentre adviser manager, what league table was being referred to therein.

Mark Hoban: The league table mentioned was a locally prepared spreadsheet of management information. As with any spreadsheet, data can be shown in different ways. Managers have been reminded that this should not be used as a league table.

Members: Correspondence

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to send a substantive response to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Toby Perkins) of 24 October 2012 on behalf of a constituent, C J Howells.

Mark Hoban: I replied to the hon. Member on 31 October 2012.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the letter to him dated 22 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) with regard to Miss Emma Figueira.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), replied to the right hon. Member on 4 June 2013.

Mesothelioma: Compensation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the amount his Department would have spent on compensating mesothelioma sufferers and their dependants if there had not been a mesothelioma support scheme in place in each of the next five years.

Mark Hoban: Lump sum compensation payments can be paid to sufferers of mesothelioma, and their dependants, through both the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 and the 2008 Mesothelioma Scheme (set up under the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008).
	Recoveries of payments are made by the Department from any compensation received as a result of a successful civil damages claim.
	The estimated amounts to be spent under both these lump sum schemes, in respect of mesothelioma, in each of the next five years are:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Expenditure Recoveries Net 
			 1979 Scheme    
			 (mesothelioma)    
			 2013-14 31 n/a n/a 
			 2014-15 32 n/a n/a 
			 2015-16 33 n/a n/a 
			 2016-17 34 n/a n/a 
			 2017-18 34 n/a n/a 
			     
			 2008 Scheme    
			 2013-14 10 -4 6 
			 2014-15 10 -4 6 
			 2015-16 10 -4 6 
			 2016-17 10 -4 6 
			 2017-18 10 -4 6 
			 Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest million. 2. n/a = recovery expenditure forecasts for the 1979 Act scheme are only available for the full scheme and not broken down into different components—such as mesothelioma. 
		
	
	A range of other benefits are available, to those entitled, such as industrial injuries benefits, personal independence payment, disability living allowance, attendance allowance and income related benefits. Figures relating only to those suffering from mesothelioma are not available.
	The impact assessment that was published alongside the Mesothelioma Support Scheme Bill details the forecast expenditure of the planned Mesothelioma Support Scheme. It can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/185025/elci-compensation-meso-ia.pdf

Post Offices: Bank Services

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the total cost to the public purse was of the contract with Royal Mail to run Post Office current accounts from 2003 to 2010;
	(2)  what the value of the Post Office current account contract with Royal Mail has been since 2010.

Steve Webb: The Post Office card account is a Post Office Government Services product used by DWP and other Government Departments. The total cost of the contracts with Post Office Ltd to run Post Office card accounts from April 2003 to March 2010 was £1.152 billion. From April 2010 to March 2013 the value of the Post Office card account contract across Government Departments has been £254 million.
	The contract with the Post Office Ltd runs from October 2009 to March 2015 with the option to extend for up to two years beyond the initial contract end date.

Sign Language

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure the services it offers are accessible to British Sign Language users.

Mark Hoban: The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on DWP to provide services that are accessible, available and appropriate to all claimants and customers. DWP takes seriously its duties under this Act to provide and make available reasonable adjustments to all claimants and customers who have specific communication needs. DWP has in place framework agreements to provide British Sign Language (BSL) or other communicator support to those customers who need it. Guidance on how to access this support is available to DWP staff via the internal intranet. Alternatively customers may bring their own interpreter, who, if professionally qualified, can be reimbursed with reasonable travel costs. They may also appoint a representative or intermediary to help them communicate with us.

Social Security Benefits: Automated Credit Transfer

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total administrative cost of paying benefits into Post Office current accounts was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The total cost paid by the DWP to the Post Office Ltd for the Post Office card account for the financial year 2012-13 was £63.8 million.
	The Post Office card account is a very simple account that does not have the features of a current account. It is simply a deposit account from where withdrawals can be made. Most of the current accounts offered by retail banks can be accessed at Post Office branches and Post Office Ltd is currently trialling three current account products, including one specially designed to help those who may not previously have had a current account, or who find personal finances challenging.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse from no longer paying a pension to people based on their partner's contributions in each of the five financial years from April 2016.

Steve Webb: The single-tier pension will fundamentally change and simplify the way state pensions are paid and uprated. As such, it is not always possible to split out costs for individual components of the package and in this instance the information requested is not available.
	Individuals could receive lower state pension amounts from the removal of derived entitlement to basic state pension but this could be offset by the single-tier calculation or the different way the current system and single-tier systems are uprated over time.
	Individuals may also be entitled to guarantee credit, which will not be affected by the reforms. This could mean their household income is unaffected by the changes.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the level of pension that will be paid to those reaching state pension age in 2016-17 who will no longer be able to claim a pension based on their partner's contribution.

Steve Webb: People reaching state pension age in 2016-17 will be paid a pension based on their own national insurance record. “The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving” sets out how people's single-tier pension amounts will be calculated.
	The Department projects that the median state pension paid to individuals in their own right under the single tier in 2020, who would have claimed a pension based on their partners national insurance record under the current system, will be around £70 per week (in 2013/14 earnings terms). This is based on assumptions around the starting level of single tier and uprating as set out in the white paper with an implementation date of April 2016.
	Some of these individuals would be eligible for guarantee credit were the current arrangements to remain in place and so they may see no change in their overall income.
	The Department uses PENSIM2 to model pensioner incomes under the single tier but there are too few cases where individuals would have claimed derived entitlement to basic state pension under the current system to make a robust assessment of the amount these individuals will receive in 2016/17.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people reaching state pension age in 2016-17 who are (a) widowed and (b) divorced would receive a lower amount in pension as a result of no longer being able to claim based on their partner's contribution.

Steve Webb: The Department estimates that in 2020 fewer than 30,000 widowed individuals will be affected by the loss of derived entitlement to a basic state pension, based upon the national insurance record of their spouse or civil partner.
	Some of these individuals would be eligible for guarantee credit were the current arrangements to remain in place and so they may see no change in their overall income.
	The Department uses PENSIM2 to model pensioner incomes under the single tier but there are top few cases of the number of widows who would have claimed derived entitlement to basic state pension under the current system to make a robust assessment of numbers in 2016. PENSIM2 is not able to estimate the number of divorced individuals who would be affected by the policy because it does not distinguish them from people claiming a Category A basic state pension in their own right.

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people reaching state pension age in 2016-17 will receive a lower amount in state pension as a result of no longer being able to claim a pension based on their partner's contribution.

Steve Webb: The Department estimates that in 2020 fewer than 40,000 married and widowed individuals will be affected by the loss of derived entitlement to a basic state pension, based upon the national insurance record of their spouse or civil partner.
	Some of these individuals would be eligible for guarantee credit were the current arrangements to remain in place and so they may see no change in their overall income.
	The Department uses PENSIM2 to model pensioner incomes under the single tier but there are too few cases where individuals would have claimed derived entitlement to basic State Pension under the current system to make a robust assessment of numbers in 2016-17.

Travel

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible claimed reimbursement for travel subsistence expenses in each of the last five years; what the total cost was of such claims; and what the monetary value was of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year.

Mark Hoban: The Department for Work and Pensions reimburses subsistence where employees on official business, away from their normal office, incur additional costs.
	From April 2012, reimbursement of subsistence is based on receipted actual costs, up to a maximum of £5 for lunch and £20 for an evening meal when staying away from home overnight. The exception is where an employee is staying with family or friends overnight, for which an allowance is paid of £25 per night.
	In 2012-13, 30,345 employees, out of a work force of approximately 100,000, claimed subsistence. DWP has offices across the United Kingdom, requiring substantial amounts of travel.
	The total cost to the Department and its non-departmental public bodies of travel subsistence claims in each of the last five years is set out in the following tables:
	
		
			 2008-09 
			 Organisation Number of employees claiming subsistence Total cost (£) 
			 DWP 68,403 5,782,139.00 
			 Child Maintenance Group 2,737 277,455.62 
			 Health Safety Executive(4) 3,091 3,263,647.00 
			 Remploy (1)— — 
			 Independent Living Fund 38 2,618.09 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (1)— 41,640.00 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (2)— — 
		
	
	
		
			 The Pensions Regulator 393 12,580.00 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 
			 Organisation Number of employees claiming subsistence Total cost (£) 
			 DWP 69,619 5,393,245.56 
			 Child Maintenance Group 3,634 1,094,172.77 
			 Health and Safety Executive(4) 3,153 3,702,483.00 
			 Remploy 202 20,655 
			 Independent Living Fund 51 4,704.80 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (1)— 32,058.00 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (2)— — 
			 The Pensions Regulator 427 14,806.00 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Organisation Number of employees claiming subsistence Total cost (£) 
			 DWP 45,355 3,403,386.83 
			 Child Maintenance Group 2,697 602,633.84 
			 Health and Safety Executive(4) 3,159 3,548,114.00 
			 Remploy 189 21,579 
			 Independent Living Fund 35 2,638.32 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (1)— 20,467.00 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (2)— — 
			 The Pensions Regulator 199 7,086.00 
			 NEST (from July 2010) 103 103,235.00 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 
			 Organisation Number of employees claiming subsistence Total cost (£) 
			 DWP 35,047 2,654,310.03 
			 Child Maintenance Group 2,812 766,769.12 
			 Health and Safety Executive(4) 2,882 3,503,468.00 
			 Remploy 156 16,716 
			 Independent Living Fund 87 8,154.79 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (1)— 16,404.00 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (2)— — 
			 The Pensions Regulator 177 10,363.00 
			 NEST (from July 2010) 113 96,707 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Organisation Number of employees claiming subsistence Total cost (£) 
			 DWP (including CMG from August 2012) 30,345 1,496,251.17 
			 Child Maintenance Group (pre August 2012) 42 45,592.73 
			 Health and Safety Executive(4) (3)— — 
			 Remploy (up to February 2013)(5) 128 12,772 
			 Independent Living Fund 62 14,374.24 
			 The Pensions Advisory Service (3)— — 
			 Pensions Ombudsman (2)— — 
			 The Pensions Regulator (3)— — 
			 NEST (from July 2010) 145 104,271.00 
			 (1) Information not available. (2) No payments for subsistence. (3) Information not provided. (4) HSE figures include the cost of legitimate overseas hotel accommodation incurred while on official business, which cannot be split without incurring disproportionate cost. (5) Remploy information is only available from April 2009 to February 2013. March 2013 information is not yet available. 
		
	
	20 Highest Claims
	It is not possible to provide the monetary value of the 20 highest subsistence claims in each such year for Remploy or the Pensions Advisory Service, without incurring disproportionate cost.
	For the Department we have provided the monetary value of the 20 highest subsistence claims in 2012-13. To provide the same analysis for earlier years would incur disproportionate cost and would require interrogation of around two million individual claims submitted during the period.
	The following tables provide the information that is available for the Department and its non-departmental public bodies:
	
		
			 £ 
			  CMG HSE Independent Living Fund The Pensions Regulator 
			 2008-09 1,800.00 2,071.00 612.70 785.00 
			  1,500.00 1,999.00 173.30 424.00 
			  1,200.00 1,874.00 164.80 416.00 
			  1,110.30 1,764.00 132.00 336.00 
			  877.24 1,755.00 130.37 296.00 
			  870.00 1,713.00 101.50 209.00 
			  842.24 1,630.00 95.70 170.00 
			  695.00 1,592.00 76.00 157.00 
			  624.00 1,561.00 75.90 151.00 
			  620.00 1,464.00 74.50 151.00 
			  620.00 1,446.00 72.00 138.00 
			  600.00 1,430.00 70.00 131.00 
			  564.10 1,407.00 69.50 128.00 
		
	
	
		
			  550.00 1,389.00 67.00 122.00 
			  546.00 1,385.00 64.90 121.00 
			  535.00 1,383.00 63.00 121.00 
			  510.00 1,343.00 61.55 112.00 
			  462.30 1,340.00 59.64 111.00 
			  445.87 1,306.00 55.70 111.00 
			  442.00 1,303.00 54.80 109.00 
			      
			 2009-10 1,860.00 2,911.00 563.35 1,214.00 
			  930.00 2,386.00 414.00 785.00 
			  862.89 2,094.00 210.00 703.00 
			  775.00 2,031.00 193.94 526.00 
			  775.00 2,030.00 167.60 405.00 
			  775.00 1,958.00 139.55 374.00 
			  650.00 1,913.00 128.95 374.00 
			  650.00 1,876.00 121.85 311.00 
			  620.00 1,801.00 120.50 310.00 
			  620.00 1,790.00 110.90 276.00 
			  620.00 1,761.00 109.50 273.00 
			  620.00 1,727.00 108.10 223.00 
			  620.00 1,707.00 105.20 215.00 
			  579.50 1,700.00 98.70 186.00 
			  553.80 1,683.00 89.75 175.00 
			  540.00 1,626.00 84.92 160.00 
			  530.00 1,596.00 83.10 160.00 
			  525.00 1,583.00 75.50 157.00 
			  520.00 1,566.00 75.50 148.00 
			  515.00 1,554.00 74.30 146.00 
			      
			 2010-11 1,860.00 3,256.00 193.24 1,226.00 
			  930.00 3,066.00 175.87 338.00 
			  862.89 2,787.00 171.89 323.00 
			  775.00 2,596.00 147.19 315.00 
			  775.00 2,438.00 144.00 275.00 
			  775.00 2,209.00 131.12 260.00 
			  650.00 2,206.00 117.35 238.00 
			  650.00 2,206.00 114.46 216.00 
			  620.00 2,172.00 105.51 158.00 
			  620.00 2,093.00 104.80 129.00 
			  620.00 2,092.00 104.50 118.00 
			  620.00 2,047.00 103.20 106.00 
			  620.00 2,047.00 103.20 95.00 
			  579.50 1,939.00 94.90 94.00 
			  553.80 1,928.00 80.90 88.00 
			  540.00 1,905.00 80.20 87.00 
			  530.00 1,847.00 80.05 87.00 
			  525.00 1,818.00 80.00 74.00 
			  520.00 1,813.00 80.00 73.00 
			  515.00 1,782.00 76.00 68.00 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 2,550.00 4,201.00 320.00 930.00 
			  1,180.00 4,201.00 176.65 688.00 
			  984.30 3,861.00 163.00 589.00 
			  870.00 3,428.00 161.80 325.00 
			  840.00 3,415.00 137.25 325.00 
			  839.70 3,201.00 132.85 295.00 
			  828.87 3,014.00 118.35 294.00 
			  817.98 3,007.00 116.10 292.00 
			  817.98 2,889.00 108.00 279.00 
			  817.98 2,753.00 105.45 250.00 
			  720.00 2,524.00 102.60 243.00 
			  705.00 2,508.00 89.60 240.00 
			  705.00 2,501.00 89.20 214.00 
			  696.95 2,479.00 89.10 204.00 
			  692.00 2,447.00 87.85 180.00 
			  690.00 2,428.00 87.85 160.00 
			  685.00 2,385.00 87.70 156.00 
			  675.00 2,377.00 87.00 156.00 
			  650.00 2,327.00 84.37 147.00 
			  645.00 2,264.00 84.19 131.00 
		
	
	
		
			 £ 
			  DWP CMG HSE Independent Living Fund The Pensions Regulator 
			 2012-13 2,100.00 3,400.00 (1)— 392.90 (1)— 
			  1,630.00 1,700.00 (1)— 326.81 (1)— 
			  1,500.00 780.00 (1)— 309.80 (1)— 
			  1,440.00 671.66 (1)— 278.39 (1)— 
			  1,400.00 671.66 (1)— 262.35 (1)— 
			  1,230.00 671.66 (1)— 250.94 (1)— 
			  1,230.00 635.81 (1)— 226.59 (1)— 
			  1,230.00 621.22 (1)— 223.55 (1)— 
			  1,207.10 608.00 (1)— 220.75 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 571.95 (1)— 211.79 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 550.00 (1)— 202.97 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 550.00 (1)— 198.69 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 550.00 (1)— 195.45 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 538.26 (1)— 192.65 (1)— 
			  1,050.00 528.00 (1)— 181.32 (1)— 
			  992.51 528.00 (1)— 185.28 (1)— 
			  984.00 528.00 (1)— 168.70 (1)— 
			  984.00 525.00 (1)— 167.00 (1)— 
			  984.00 500.00 (1)— 166.77 (1)— 
			  984.00 480.00 (1)— 164.31 (1)— 
			 (1) Information not provided

Travel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current parliament.

Mark Hoban: Section 10 of the ministerial code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
	The DWP's business travel policy actively discourages travel but, where travel is deemed appropriate, the most cost effective modes of transport should be used.
	For comparative purposes, in previous tax years the Department spent £428,800 in 2008/09 and £506,726 in 2009/10 on the Government Car Service alone.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Year Government Car Service Private hire vehicles Taxis Rail Aviation Other Total 
			 May 2010 to March 11 95,044 634 509 8,092 9,404 0.00 113,683 
			 2011-12 177,621 726 1,019 5,558 5,263 0.00 190,187 
			 2012-13 (1)86,970 2,330 6,459 2,436 21,348 0.00 119,543 
			 (1) Covers the period from April 2012 to end September 2012. From 1 October 2013 the department has used an official vehicle for ministerial journeys for officials to use for official journeys.

Universal Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's publication, Direct Payment Demonstration Project: Learning and Payments figures-May 2013, what assessment he has made of the learning and payment figures published in that report.

Mark Hoban: The Direct Payment Demonstration projects have and continue to provide much valuable live learning about how best to design that aspect of universal credit for tenants and landlords.
	To date, the learning has had a direct influence on the design for universal credit in the areas of personal budgeting support, the alternative payment arrangements and the rent arrears trigger.
	The figures contained in last month's release indicated that payment collection rates have increased and landlords have got better at managing rent arrears and the switchback process. The volume of tenants paid by direct payment has remained relatively constant but switchbacks have increased. These safeguards have helped contain arrears and lessons have been learnt about the support tenants who fall behind on their rent may need.
	As the financial position of tenants will change over the course of the projects, the detailed rent account analysis is important to properly understand the impacts of direct payment on landlords and tenants. The rent account analysis will assess the impact of direct payments on landlord cash flows and will form part of the final evaluation report produced as part of the independent evaluation being conducted by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research. The final report is expected to be published in the spring of 2014.
	It is important to understand that the findings from the projects are not indicative of what will happen in universal credit. While the scale of the change is greater, the new safeguards and support processes will be in place for tenants and landlords.

Universal Credit

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential savings to his Department of the introduction of housing costs contributions under universal credit.

Steve Webb: It has long been a feature of the benefits system that someone living in a claimant's home should be expected to contribute towards the rent. This principle will be carried forward into universal credit, although the system will be both simpler and provide improved work incentives. The revised approach is not expected to deliver savings.
	It is not possible to isolate the impact of the housing cost contribution from the other constituent parts of universal credit. This means that it is not possible to provide an estimate of the financial effects of the housing cost contribution. It is important to note that non-dependants may be better off in universal credit, compared to the current system. For example, a non-dependant working 30 hours per week at the national minimum wage of £6.31 (from October) would be expected to make a flat rate contribution of £68 per month towards the rent under Universal Credit, compared to about £185.90 under current rules.

Work Capability Assessment: Audio Recordings

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of work capability assessments have been audio-recorded since the facility was made available.

Mark Hoban: Since September 2011 Atos Healthcare have completed 2,056 audio-recorded work capability assessments.
	During that period 1,446,515 face to face work capability assessments (for both ESA and IB reassessments) have been completed.
	Therefore, the proportion of recorded assessments is 0.14%.

Work Capability Assessment: Audio Recordings

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to inform people undertaking a work capability assessment of the facility to have an audio recording of the assessment.

Mark Hoban: Information for claimants about requesting an audio recording of their work capability assessment is available on the Atos Healthcare websites.
	DWP and Atos Healthcare are taking steps to amend and improve their communication with claimants to provide more information about the recording facility and how to request a recorded assessment when their work capability assessment process commences.
	DWP's evaluation of audio recording continues—and the evaluation period has been extended until the end of the summer to enable the gathering of additional data. The Department will assess this evidence to see the impact of audio recording on the quality of assessments and to what extent claimants request the facility. These findings will inform ongoing policy development.

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on the Work programme have (a) received one-to-one support and (b) attended group sessions to date.

Mark Hoban: The data requested are not readily available and to provide them would incur disproportionate costs.

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department used to evaluate the performance success of companies delivering the Work programme in 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: The prime measures of success are the proportions of participants in each contract area who secure sustained employment and leave benefit. There are various ways in which these proportions can be measured, for example in-year, by cohort or over the life of the programme, and the Department has been considering advice on the most appropriate and meaningful. Statistics covering referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2013 will be published on 27 June 2013.

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what amount of government funding was allocated to companies delivering the Work programme in (a) 2012-13 and (b) all previous years.

Mark Hoban: The total paid to Work programme providers in the UK is £377.9 million from the start of the programme through to 30 July 2012, i.e. the period covered by the first Statistical Release.
	Further information on spend up to the end of March 2013 is scheduled to be available to coincide with the next planned Statistical Release on 27 June 2013.

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many companies are involved in delivering the Work programme as (a) prime contractors and (b) sub-contractors.

Mark Hoban: There are 18 prime providers delivering the Work programme, and according to the Department's most recent records there are 785 subcontractors. A list of Work programme prime providers and their subcontractors is available on the GOV.UK website via:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/organisations-that-supply-services-to-the-work-programme-providers

Work Programme

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on the Work programme have been placed in employment lasting over six months.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many people in on the Work programme have been placed in employment lasting over six months are shown in the following tables. Statistics covering referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2013 will be published on 27 June 2013.
	
		
			 Number of Work programme job outcomes for payment groups 1, 2 and 9 by employment duration as at 31 July 2012 
			 Area Total 26 weeks up to 50 weeks 50 weeks or over 
			 Great Britain 19,340 18,980 360 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of Work programme job outcomes for payment groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 by employment duration as at 31 July 2012 
			 Area Total 25 weeks up to 49 weeks 49 weeks or over 
			 Great Britain 4,190 4,060 130 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are cumulative and are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Job Outcomes: The Work Programme IT payment system update went live in April 2012. All outcomes prior to this were recorded clerically and uploaded to the system during April and May 2012. The outcome date for these is based on the date the information was uploaded to the system. For job outcomes recorded after this, outcome dates are based on the date that payments were made to providers following pre-payment validation processes to confirm job outcomes. The manual pre-payment validation checks may take time to conduct resulting in a delay between the job outcome being claimed and the date the payment is made to providers, and hence recorded in the statistics. Validation procedures continue to improve to streamline the process as issues are identified. For further details around issues and delays to job outcome payments please see the information note available on the WP landing page: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp 3. Payment groups are assigned by Jobcentre Plus, on the basis of a claimant's circumstances, and benefit they receive. A small number of claimants appear in an incorrect group caused by the way information is recorded on the administrative system. Details of the payment groups 1-8 can be found at Annex 1 of the following document: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wp-pg-chapter-9.pdf 4. Payment group 9 is the JSA Ex-Offender Day 1 Mandation group and a Job Outcome payment can be claimed at 26 weeks. 5. Employment duration is defined as the number of weeks required to claim a Job Outcome plus the number of weeks for which sustainment payments have been made. For example a job outcome paid for a customer in Payment Group 1 with one additional sustainment payment will have been in employment for 30 weeks up to 34 weeks. 6. A Job Outcome payment can be claimed when: There has been a either continuous or cumulative period of employment (Job Outcome payment trigger point) of 13 weeks for Payment Groups 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 and 26 weeks for Payment Groups 1, 2 and 9; A participant has been in employment and off benefit in each week of the period (a week is defined as a seven-day period); and The Job Outcome is after the Job Start date, i.e. a Job Outcome payment can only be claimed when a participant starts a job after Attachment Activity has been recorded on DWP prescribed IT or clerical system. 7. Sustainment payments: Providers can only claim a Sustainment payment where: A Job Outcome has been reported; Four continuous weeks in employment have elapsed between the Job Outcome payment date and the Sustainment payment date, or between the previous Sustainment payment date and the current Sustainment payment date. A participant has been in employment and off benefit each week (a week is defined as a seven-day period) in the four-week period; and 15 working days have passed since the last date of the period being claimed. Following a break in employment after the 104 weeks Allotted Time providers will no longer be eligible to receive a Sustainment payment (a break is defined as when a participant leaves employment for two days or more, even if they remain off benefit). Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate (IGS)

EDUCATION

Free Schools: Yorkshire and the Humber

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications to set up a free school have been made in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and Humber in the last 12 months; and how many such applications (i) have been accepted, (ii) have been rejected and (iii) are still under consideration.

Edward Timpson: The following table shows the number of applications that the Department has received to open a free school in the Haltemprice and Howden constituency, East Riding of Yorkshire local authority and the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the last 12 months:
	
		
			 Numbers of free school applications 
			  Received Accepted Rejected Under consideration 
			 Haltemprice and Howden 0 0 0 0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1 0 1 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 22 10 12 0 
		
	
	In answering this question we have interpreted East Yorkshire to mean East Riding of Yorkshire local authority.

Primary Education

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the role of maintained federations in providing a staging post for small primary schools that are not immediately equipped to take on academy status.

David Laws: Evidence shows that all schools can benefit from formal collaboration. We have therefore ensured the regulatory framework exists to enable maintained schools to federate, should they wish to do so. We believe that the benefits of schools working together can generally be most fully realised through the freedoms and autonomy offered by academy status. Our focus is on improving guidance and resources and promoting the growth of strong academy chains and sponsors so that no school feels ill-equipped to take on academy status.

Secondary Education: Admissions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in (a) England and (b) Harlow constituency secured places at (i) their first choice and (ii) one of their top three choices of secondary school in each year since 1997.

David Laws: The Department collects data from local authorities on how many families received an offer of a place at one of their preferred secondary schools, under the Information as to Provision of Education (England) Regulations 2008. These data were collected for the first time on National Offer Day, 3 March 2008, in relation to offers for entry into the 2008/09 academic year. The data have been collected, and published, annually since then. The table provided therefore gives figures from 2008 onwards.
	These data are collected at local authority level only so data for Harlow parliamentary constituency are not available. Figures for England and the local authority of Essex, which includes Harlow parliamentary constituency are given as follows.
	
		
			 Applications and offers for entry to secondary schools in England and Essex local authority, academic years 2008/09 to 2013/14 
			  Essex LA England 
			  Percentage of children offered: 
			  First preference school One of top three preferences First preference school One of top three preferences 
			 2013 86.9 96.6 86.7 96.5 
			 2012 82.0 95.9 85.3 95.9 
			 2011 83.3 96.8 84.6 95.6 
			 2010 81.0 95.4 83.2 94.9 
			 2009 81.0 95.2 83.2 94.6 
			 2008 80.8 94.3 82.0 94.0 
			 Note: Data collected from local authorities on National Offers Day each year in early March. 
		
	
	The figures for each year were published in an annual Statistical First Release ‘Secondary school applications and offers in England'. Those for the most recent three years can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/series/statistics-school-applications
	Those for the years 2008 to 2010 can be found on the national archives website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151655/http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/allstatistics?page=1

Secondary Education: Admissions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children in (a) England and (b) Harlow constituency did not secure a place at any of their choices of secondary school in the most recent application period.

David Laws: Data on the proportion of pupils being offered or not offered a place at one of their preferred schools are published in the annual Statistical First Release ‘Secondary school applications and offers in England’. These data are collected at local authority level only so data for Harlow parliamentary constituency are not available. Figures for England and the local authority of Essex, which includes Harlow parliamentary constituency, are given in the table:
	
		
			 Applications and offers for entry to secondary schools in England and Essex local authority in academic year 2013/14 
			  Essex LA England 
			 Percentage of children who did not receive an offer of one of their preferred schools 1.7 2.2 
			 Note: Data collected from local authorities on National Offers Day—March 2013 
		
	
	These figures were published on 26 March 2013 in the Statistical First Release ‘Secondary school applications and offers in England: March 2013’, which is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secondary-school-applications-and-offers-in-england-march-2013

Social Networking

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance he has issued to special advisers in his Department on use of Twitter to announce or discuss official government business.

Elizabeth Truss: All special advisers are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.